Indiana State has opted out of playing the 2021 spring football season.

It was announced on Friday afternoon by the Twitter account for Indiana State:

On the official website for Sycamores football, Athletic Director Sherard Clinkscales released a statement on why the school opted out and said:

“This is a challenging environment to navigate. I support Curt and his vision for the Sycamore football program, especially when it comes to the health, safety, and development of our student-athletes,” Clinkscales said. “The University has provided us with all the resources needed for a spring season and we were certainly looking forward to games, but the health and safety of our student-athletes is a priority. We look forward to normal spring practices in the coming months as we continue to work toward a full fall season in 2021.”

Sycamores President Deborah J. Curtis then had a statement of her own in the press release and said:

“We will always make the health and safety of student-athletes our first priority. I’m grateful to coach Mallory for his leadership and judgement about what’s best for his players. We look forward to a successful season of football in the fall.”

It looks like the school will use the spring to prepare for the next full fall season.