First football game now set for Oct. 1

JACKSON – The Mississippi Association of Community Colleges (MACC), a group composed of the state's 15 community college presidents, has announced that the 2020 football season will begin Oct. 1.

An official statement from the MACC read as follows: "The Mississippi Association of Community College (MACC) met today, July 24, 2020, and voted to delay the start of the 2020 fall season to October 1. The 2020 football season will consist of a six-game regular season with divisional play only and will conclude with a playoff. The MACC will continue to evaluate COVID-19 and its impact on our student-athletes."

Holmes will now open its season on Oct. 1. The schedule has not released at this time.

Originally, the league voted to move the start of the season from Aug. 27 to Sept. 10 and reduce the regular season from nine games to eight. The NJCAA voted to move all fall competition to the spring of 2021. The MACC abstained from the vote.

Both seasons of men's and women's soccer and men's and women's basketball will be postponed until 2021. Basketball will begin practice on January 11 with competition to start on Jan. 22. All regular season games along with region and district championships will be completed by April 10. Basketball will be allowed five scrimmages in the fall and 60 practice days between Sept. 15 and Dec. 15. Soccer will start practice on March 15 with matches to begin on April 2. All regular season games along with region and district championships will be completed by May 24. Soccer can have four scrimmage dates in the fall and 60 practice days between Aug. 15-Nov. 15.