Dover, DE – On the heels of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's (MEAC) decision to suspend Spring 2021 Football, Delaware State University announced today that it plans to play an abbreviated schedule with Howard University, South Carolina State University, and the University of Delaware.

MEAC Commissioner Dr. Dennis E. Thomas cited the difficulties in scheduling full-scale conference play created by varying local and state trends in the spread of the COVID -19 virus and the array of different travel restrictions for MEAC institutions. Thomas also noted that the MEAC schools who chose to continue to play will follow the ongoing protocols they have outlined at their schools and continue to align with the CDC guidelines and the NCAA health and safety provisions that have guided collegiate athletics throughout the academic year. Of those, Thomas said, "We are confident that member schools that continue to play have some of the safest on-campus COVID-19 standards in the country. We support each of them wholeheartedly."

"With Howard University and South Carolina State University as conference opponents, and our game with the University of Delaware, we are looking at a three to five game season beginning in late February or early March, and ending in April," said Delaware State University Athletics Director, Dr. David S. Gines.

Head Coach Rod Milstead reported that his players were excited by the opportunity to play, no matter the weather challenges or sticking to COVID-19 safety protocols. "These young men have done everything we've asked of them and more," Milstead said. "I met with them this morning, and general cheering broke out when I told them we still had a shot at a season."

At the onset of the pandemic, Delaware State University entered into a partnership with Testing for America to develop a comprehensive testing program and related protocol for the entire University Community. The results have been noteworthy -- over 40,000 tests administered with less than ½% COVID-positive rate. Late last year, the University also launched its own Molecular Diagnostic Testing facility and will soon be servicing the University population directly and other sister-HBCUs and citizens throughout the state of Delaware