NCCU Football Opts Out of Spring Season

DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University announced Thursday that due to concerns about the health, safety, and well-being of its student-athletes because of COVID-19, the NCCU football program is opting out of competition during the spring semester.

Statement from NCCU Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree:

“We are disappointed that we will not be able to compete this spring. Our priority is to always provide the best academic and athletic experience for each student-athlete, and delivering this news to members of our football program was difficult. However, after careful and deliberate discussions with our coaching staff and sports performance team members, the health, safety, and well-being of our football student-athletes prevailed as the number one factor in this decision. We have seen first-hand the impact of the pandemic. There are more challenges at this time and it is best for us not to move forward, but to allow our young men to remain safe and prepare for the fall 2021 season.”

Statement from NCCU Football Head Coach Trei Oliver:

“This was a very tough decision to make, and my staff and I gave this a lot of thought. We evaluated our student-athletes after completing their first week of workouts this semester and determined we would not be physically prepared by the start of the season. Football is a high-impact sport and a violent game. I know it is not in the best interest of our student-athletes to attempt to play and risk a catastrophic injury. We are very disappointed. As a competitor, you try to do all that you can to play, but I am not going to risk the well-being of my players.”

The NCCU football coaches and support staff will move forward with a traditional spring practice campaign in order to prepare the student-athletes to compete in the fall.