NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State bowling team will get its season started later this month as the program announced its spring schedule for the 2020-21 academic year on Friday.
 
NSU will begin competition the last weekend of January and will take part in five tournaments prior to the MEAC Championship in March. The Spartans did not compete during the fall semester this academic year.
 
"COVID-19 has given us challenges to work through with our schedule, and we are taking every precaution to keep our student-athletes safe," said interim head coach Thea Aspiras. "But nonetheless, we are looking forward to competing this season in some very exciting tournaments."
 
NSU will travel to some familiar spots this spring for competition. The first meet is set for Jan. 30-31 at the Coppin State Invitational at Bowl America in Glen Burnie, Maryland. The Spartans will head back that way for the annual James Brown Invitational hosted by Morgan State from Feb. 12-14 at AMF Country Club Lanes in Baltimore.
 
The regular season MEAC meet will commence from Feb. 19-21. It will be held by North Carolina A&T at Triad Lanes in Greensboro. The Spartans will also compete in the annual Hawk Flight Invitational at Hamilton Lanes in New Jersey. Monmouth will once again serve as the host for that tournament.
 
The regular season finishes up back at Triad Lanes, as N.C. A&T will host the Stallings Invitational from March 13-14.
 
The MEAC Championship is set for March 20-21 and will take place at Bowlero Chesapeake (formerly AMF Lanes) for the ninth year in a row. The top four teams that qualify from the regular season MEAC meet will advance to this year's championship.
 
All dates are subject to change.
 
The Spartans return six of their seven regular bowlers from last year's team as they get ready for Aspiras' first season leading the program.