When will college sports return? Here are the latest plans for Tennessee schools

Nashville Tennessean

Here is an update on when college sports programs in Tennessee will start in the fall after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Austin Peay

The Ohio Valley Conference moved its football season to the spring, but is allowing member institutions to play up to four nonconference games in the fall. Austin Peay has three games scheduled.

Austin Peay opens the season Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. against Central Arkansas in the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Governors will play at Pittsburgh on Sept. 12.

Austin Peay and Cincinnati mutually agreed to move their game originally set for Thursday, Sept. 3, to Sept. 19 at the Bearcats' Nippert Stadium.

Austin Peay's other fall sports (men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s tennis) have been postponed to the spring.

Belmont

The OVC's decision to postpone fall sports means Belmont's men's and women's soccer and cross country teams and women's volleyball team won't play this fall.

"We are heartbroken, yet understanding of the decision made by the Ohio Valley Conference Board of Presidents regarding fall sport competition," Belmont athletics director Scott Corley said in a statement. "The competitor in me — and in all Belmont Bruins — desperately longs for a return to game day. However, after thoughtful consideration, it was determined now is not the appropriate time."

Bethel

Bethel is in the NAIA Mid-South Conference, which postponed fall sports to the spring.

Men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country, and football will play regular season conference games in the spring with championships to follow.

Bryan

Bryan is in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, which will begin conference-only fall competition for men's and women's cross country, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer on Sept. 15.

Conference championship dates in the fall may change to accommodate the conference-only schedules.

Carson-Newman

All fall athletic competition in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference was postponed until the spring including football, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country and volleyball.

Christian Brothers

The Gulf South Conference postponed basketball, football, soccer and volleyball until at least Jan. 1, 2021.

Cross country and golf will be permitted during the fall with the conference championship date potentially moved to better accommodate the calendar.

Cumberland

Cumberland is in the NAIA Mid-South Conference, which postponed fall sports to the spring.

Men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country, and football will play regular-season conference games in the spring with championships to follow.

Fisk

Fisk, which is in the NAIA Association of Independent Institutions, canceled all fall sports.

Freed-Hardeman

Freed-Hardeman is in the NAIA Mid-South Conference, which postponed fall sports to the spring.

Men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country will play regular-season conference games in the spring with championships to follow.

King

The NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas postponed men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball to the spring.

Lane

The NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference suspended all sports through the fall.

Lee

The Gulf South Conference postponed basketball, football, soccer and volleyball until at least Jan. 1, 2021.

Cross country and golf will be permitted in the fall with the conference championship date potentially moved to better accommodate the calendar.

LeMoyne-Owen

The NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference suspended all sports through the fall.

Lincoln Memorial

Lipscomb

The Atlantic Sun Conference Presidents' Council postponed all fall sports, meaning Lipscomb's men's and women's cross country and soccer teams along with women's volleyball won't compete.

Conference officials hope to provide a spring season for the fall sports.

"We are still working toward a solution that would provide a way for fall sports to compete in the spring — that is our hope and our goal," Lipscomb athletics director Philip Hutcheson said in a release. "I will continue to talk with coaches both individually and collectively to understand the desires and issues faced and to help represent our programs in the discussions being held as we work toward alternative plans."

Martin Methodist

Martin Methodist is in the NAIA Mid-South Conference, which postponed fall sports to the spring.

Men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country will play regular-season conference games in the spring with championships to follow.

Maryville

Maryville is in the NCAA Division III USA South Athletic Conference, which postponed all sports until the spring.

Memphis

With the American Athletic Conference moving forward with its plan to play football, Memphis is set to open the season Sept. 5 against Arkansas State at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Kickoff time has not been announced.

The Tigers' game against Purdue — a member of the Big Ten, which is not playing football in 2020 — has been canceled, as has a game against UT Martin. But the Tigers are currently slated return to action on Sept. 5 against visiting Arkansas State and play an 10-game schedule.

The AAC postponed men’s and women’s soccer and cross country along with women’s volleyball until the spring.

Milligan

Milligan is in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, which will begin conference-only fall competition for men's and women's cross country, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer on Sept. 15.

Conference championship dates in the fall may change to accommodate the conference-only schedules.

MTSU

Middle Tennessee State will open the football season on Sept. 4 or 5, depending on television, against Army at West Point, New York.

The Blue Raiders' home opener will be on Sept. 19 against Troy. They will play at Troy on Nov. 21.

Conference USA is calling for its member institutions to play conference games on their originally scheduled dates, meaning MTSU will open league play at Old Dominion on Sept. 26.

Conference USA fall sports will be played in the spring except football.

Tennessee

Tennessee will open the football season on Sept. 26 at South Carolina. Kickoff time and television information will be released later.

The Vols, along with the rest of the SEC, will play a 10-game conference-only football schedule.

The SEC men’s and women’s cross-country season will consist of a minimum of two and a maximum of three competitions prior to the SEC Championship on Oct. 30. The season will take place from Sept. 11-Oct. 23 and may include competition against non-conference opponents.

The soccer season will consist of an eight-match, conference-only regular season over eight weeks of competition beginning Sept. 18 and followed by the SEC championship Nov. 13-22.

The volleyball season will consist of an eight-match, conference-only schedule over six weeks beginning Oct. 16.

Soccer and volleyball teams will participate in spring competition as well, with details of formats contingent on final decisions by the NCAA to conduct spring championships in those sports.a

Men’s and women’s golf and tennis teams may compete in up to three team events beginning no earlier than Oct. 1. Golf and tennis teams will be limited to events involving only SEC members or non-conference teams from the geographic region of the SEC school.

Tennessee State

Tennessee State's first three football games against Jackson State, Southern and Clark Atlanta were canceled earlier this summer due to the pandemic.

That means TSU, which is in the OVC, will not play football until the spring at the same time the men's and women's cross country teams and women's volleyball teams play.

Tennessee Tech

Earlier this month Tennessee Tech scheduled two football games — at TCU on Sept. 12 and at Southern Miss on Sept. 19.

Those games still could have been played after the OVC's decision to allow its members to play outside the conference. But Tech officials announced last Friday the Golden Eagles won't play any football games in the fall.

Tech's men's and women's cross country teams and women's soccer and volleyball seasons will be played in the spring.

Tennessee Wesleyan

Tennessee Wesleyan is in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, which will begin conference-only fall competition for men's and women's cross country, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer on Sept. 15.

Conference championships will be completed as scheduled in the fall. Championship dates may change if needed to accommodate the conference-only schedules.

Conference officials are remaining flexible with schedules to make sure student-athletes and coaches remain safe during the pandemic.

Trevecca

Trevecca is in the NCAA Division II Great Midwest Athletic Conference which postponed the fall championships for men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball to the spring.

The Great Midwest is keeping its men's and women's cross country championships in the fall as originally scheduled.

Tusculum

A fall athletic competition in the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Conference was postponed until the spring including football, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country and volleyball.

Union

The Gulf South Conference postponed basketball, football, soccer and volleyball until at least Jan. 1.

Cross country and golf will be permitted during the fall with the conference championship date potentially moved to better accommodate the calendar.

UT Martin

UT Martin, which is in the OVC, has postponed the football season until the spring along with all other fall sports, including men's and women's cross country and women's soccer.

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt will open the football season on Sept. 26 at Texas A&M. Kickoff time and television information will be released later.

The Commodores, along with the rest of the SEC, will play a 10-game conference-only football schedule.

The soccer season will consist of an eight-match, conference-only regular season over eight weeks of competition beginning Sept. 18 and followed by the SEC championship Nov. 13-22.

Soccer teams will participate in spring competition as well, with details of formats contingent on final decisions by the NCAA to conduct spring championships in those sports.

Junior colleges moved to spring

Junior college athletic programs in Tennessee include Chattanooga State, Cleveland State, Columbia State, Jackson State, Motlow, Southwest Tennessee, Roane State, Volunteer State and Walters State.

The National Junior College Athletic Association moved a majority of sports, including football, to the spring semester.

The only sports that will remain in the fall are cross country and women's tennis, which will begin on their regularly scheduled dates.

All winter sports, including men's and women's basketball, wrestling and swimming and diving, will begin in January. Men's and women's bowling and men's and women's indoor track and field will start in March.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.