From the desk of Melody Webb, Director of Athletics
 
It's an unprecedented time. A quiet football stadium on Saturday. No volleyballs bouncing. No cross country races to attend. This is a fall like no other at Norfolk State University.
 
Yet, I've never been prouder of our student-athletes and coaches. They continue to adapt and find ways to be successful. The Spartan student-athletes had an outstanding spring semester in the classroom, even though classes shifted to online delivery midway through the semester. I've seen similar resilience in the students as they have returned this fall.
 
I wanted to provide an update knowing that with the shifting landscape in college athletics is still fluid. The MEAC recently announced plans to conduct the football and volleyball seasons in the spring. Plus, several sports have shifted to a divisional format to minimize costs and reduce health risks from extended travel in this climate.
 
In football, the two division winners will play in a MEAC championship game with an automatic berth in the NCAA FCS playoffs on the line. We will announce the Spartan schedule as soon as it's finalized. 
 
The NCAA has also moved the volleyball championship to the spring. Volleyball can start Jan. 22 and the NCAA championship field will be selected on April 4. NSU is hosting the MEAC Volleyball Championship at Echols Hall on March 17-18.
 
Norfolk State is also the site of the MEAC Softball and Baseball Championships. The softball event will be held on campus on May 13-15. The baseball championship will be played on Marty L. Miller Field on May 20-22.
 
The NCAA also recently pushed back the start of the men's and women's basketball seasons to Wednesday, Nov. 25. Like most institutions, Norfolk State will complete the fall semester by this date, the start of the Thanksgiving weekend, giving basketball players a quiet time on campus for non-conference games. Both Spartan programs are adjusting their schedules to the new timeline. MEAC basketball play will be conducted in divisions. The MEAC Basketball Championships return to the Scope in Norfolk on March 10-13.
 
Our staff is working with university, state and health care leaders to determine the best process to allow fans to attend our home games in a safe manner. As the playing schedules are finalized, game attendance information will be shared so fans can make plans to attend games in Echols Hall.
 
Although there are no sports this fall, our staff has been working to provide engaging information for you, our loyal Spartans. On our website, you can find the monthly "Where Are They Now" series. On Twitter and Facebook, our staff has been posting a "Motivational Monday" message from a different coach or staff member each week. We also have continued the "On This Date" feature that we started in the spring, this time highlighting great achievements in our fall sports this season. Each Wednesday, we are spotlighting the achievements of a student-athlete leader, and the Flashback Friday feature provides highlights from outstanding competitions from last season. The next flashback will be on October 9 with the highlights of last season's football win over Howard.
 
Today's e-news is another new strategy, designed to give you updated information on our program. Look for the Green and Gold Report every month, plus we will have "breaking news" editions as warranted throughout the year. Be sure to share this newsletter with other Spartan fans and encourage them to sign up for their own copy.
 
Until we have the chance to cheer for the Green and Gold on campus again, I want to wish you good health!
 
Behold,
 
Melody Webb
Director of Athletics