NCAA Announces FCS Spring Season and Playoff Structure

The+Colonials+football+team+will+resume+on-field+activities+on+September+21st.

The Colonials football team will resume on-field activities on September 21st.

Ethan Morrison, Contributor

Yesterday, the NCAA released information about the 2021 FCS Spring football season after a meeting with the Divison I council.

The Colonials can begin on-field practice on September 21st. Schools are allowed to participate in 12 hours of practice per week for a maximum of four hours a day. Two weeks before the first contest, the team can participate in 20 hours of preseason training camp.

Teams can play eight regular-season games during a 13-week period spanning from January 23rd through April 17th. As for the FCS playoffs, the NCAA shrunk the field from 24 to 16 teams. The tournament will start on April 16th and conclude on May 18th.

Robert Morris was slated to compete as an independent school during the 2020 season, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Colonials will now make their Big South debut in the 2021 Spring season.

In their final campaign as a member of the Northeast Conference, the Colonials posted a record of 7-5, including a 6-1 record in-conference, good for second in the NEC. It was their best finish since winning the NEC back in 2010, and their first winning season under head coach Bernard Clark. It was also the first time the team surpassed more than five wins in a season since 2013.