Watch 300+ live and on-demand CAA football, basketball, soccer, field hockey, softball, baseball, volleyball games, and select conference Championships exclusively on FloSports. Access live events, in-depth coverage with game previews, highlights, player profiles, breaking news, and weekly recap shows. The only team in the conference that will not play this spring is Towson. The Tigers recently opted out of the spring football season citing a joint decision from Towson student-athletes, coaches, athletic officials and medical staff. Governor Carney issued theTenth Revision to the 27th Modification of the State of Emergency Declarationwhich addressed face coverings for interscholastic sports.
The revision provides guidance on the use of face coverings for DIAA spring sports during competition in non-high-risk sports.The updated guidance takes effect Wednesday, April 28 at 8am. Per the guidance, DIAA spring sport student athletes must wear face coverings except when actively engaged in practice or game play while on the field. Face coverings should be worn on the sidelines and all other times when athletes are not engaged in active play. Between both the spring and fall seasons, the Blue Hens will play a total of 18 games this year. The change in scheduling will certainly be a challenge for Delaware, as well as the rest of the FCS, because playing a full season in the fall after a shortened spring season is not something that these teams are used to doing. Rankings from STATS PollThe 2020 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season.
They were led by fourth-year head coach Danny Rocco, and played their home games at Delaware Stadium in Newark, Delaware. Albany's athletics department issued a statement Wednesday about the decision to opt-out of its remaining two games of the 2021 spring season. With a young, talented team returning and the grand opening of the Whitney Athletic Center at the University of Delaware, the 2020 football season is poised to be an exciting one at Delaware Stadium. UD and the Colonial Athletic Association announced the 2020 schedule, which includes six home games for the Blue Hens.
This will likely make the turnaround for Delaware and the rest of the FCS more difficult as teams will have to transition from preparing for the unique, shortened spring season to preparing for a rather typical season of fall college football. The football schedule is the third official conference schedule that has been released by the CAA. In mid-October the conference released conference schedules for both the men's and women's basketball teams. The University of Delaware's football team is making the most of its shortened spring season, earning a postseason berth over the weekend. Delaware originally had a game scheduled against Delaware State , but it was canceled on July 16 due to the MEAC's decision to cancel fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the Spring and Fall 2021 FCS football seasons will pose difficult challenges for Delaware.
With uncertainties regarding the roster and preparation for the fall, Coach Rocco will have his hands full. But before the Blue Hens look forward to a full fall slate, the Spring 2021 season gives Delaware an opportunity to make up for lost time in a competitive CAA North. Delaware has the ability to schedule two "non-conference" games against other conference teams. In the statement issued by the university, the two non-conference games will be announced at a later date. Fans can purchase one general admission ticket and stay for all four championship games. Fans that leave the stadium will need to purchase another ticket to re-enter.
All tickets must be purchased through the link below through the University of Delaware's digital ticketing vendor and there will be no cash sales at the event. Reeder, the standout linebacker, will be eligible to play in 2022 in what would be his seventh year on the team. He red-shirted as a true freshman in 2016, missed the 2019 season with back and shoulder injuries and surgeries, and played in the 2021 spring season, which didn't count against any players' eligibility by NCAA rules. Another aspect of the hectic 2021 schedule is how the turn around for the fall season will look. The Blue Hens had to maneuver through many protocols and restrictions in their preparation for the spring season due to the pandemic, and it's expected that the Fall 2021 season will demand much of the same obstacles. Due to the pandemic, student-athletes across the country missed out on valuable eligibility as collegiate sports shut down play amid the pandemic.
Student-athletes had their seasons and postseasons taken away from them. The last time Delaware made it to the FCS playoffs came in 2018 as an at-large bid, before losing to James Madison in the first round 20-6. The Blue Hens have not made it to a National Championship game since 2010, where they lost to Eastern Washington. For the spring, the CAA will be broken up into North and South divisions, with the Blue Hens being one of seven teams in the North division. Delaware will play each of these opponents once, with three games at home and three games on the road.
The Colonial Athletic Association announced the six-game conference schedules for the University of Delaware and the 10 other institutions of the conference that are set to play football this spring. All attendees at University of Delaware's football athletic events ages 12 and older, must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of the event. "Full vaccination" means that guests have received their final COVID-19 vaccine dose at least 14 days in advance of the day of the game. Authentic proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test will be accepted as long as the test was taken within 72 hours of the day of the game through a medical or accredited company; please note that "at home tests" will not be accepted.
Any spectator not adhering to this Smyrna School District Spectator Policy for any contest will be required to leave the event and exit the property. Additionally, that spectator will be denied access to any events for the remainder of the fall sports season. James Madison's departure for the FBS-level Sun Belt Conference has delayed the CAA's announcement of the 2022 conference football schedule.
Various reports have mentioned Monmouth , Hampton , Howard and VMI as potential CAA football-playing targets. The Colonial Athletic Association qualified just two teams – Villanova and James Madison – for the first time since 2005. Rhode Island's shot at ending what is by far the league's longest postseason drought, dating to 1985, was foiled in a loss at Elon Saturday.
The Blue Hens' schedules and those of its 11 CAA comrades were revealed. All of those schools, with the exception of opting-out Towson, are also playing a spring schedule beginning in the coming weeks after the 2020 fall season was cancelled because of COVID-19. The University of Delaware will open its 2021 fall football season with a Colonial Athletic Association clash at Maine, the CAA and UD announced Wednesday morning. DIAA Football Championships Return to the University of Delaware November 29, 2021.
DIAA Football Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and Unified Flag Football championships are returning to the University of Delaware for the first time since 2019. For the Spring 2021 season, the CAA divided its teams into two divisions, a north and south division, with the primary goal being to limit travel and ensure safety for its teams. With the release of the Fall 2021 schedule, the CAA will be abandoning that format as its teams will return to a full schedule as opposed to this spring's shortened schedule. Should a senior exercise their extra year of eligibility, they shouldn't be chastised for their choice. The system that NCAA and collegiate sports programs operate by is a system in which the program often exploits the student-athlete.
The move of providing an extra year of eligibility is one of the few instances in which the NCAA gives the student-athlete some sort of power and the ability to make the choice to return to school for themselves. Delaware football suffered its first losing season since 2016 last fall. In conference play, Delaware went 3-5 and finished the season with a 5-7 record. A tie-breaker will be put in place if teams were to finish with the same conference record.
Non-conference games would not have an impact on conference records or any tie-breaker used, according to the statements. The southern division will consist of the four remaining teams, including Elon, James Madison, William & Mary and Richmond. Each of these teams will play each other twice, with one home game and one away game. Each student-athlete will be permitted two guests to attend home sporting events using electronic ticket access via a QR code. There is no change to face covering requirements for boys lacrosse athletes, coaches, officials, event staff or spectators.
In addition to Towson, the CAA foes Delaware will not face in the fall of 2021 are Elon and New Hampshire. Delaware's 2021 CAA schedule does not reflect the original 2020 slate that, without the pandemic and cancellation of the season, would have likely had the same teams playing at the opposite sites in 2021. The league aimed to reduce travel and flights in devising the new 2021 schedules. Six high school class of 2022 football prospects signed a national letter of intent with the University of Delaware Wednesday, but the recruiting process is still well underway for the Blue Hens. Delaware's six signees had committed to Delaware when it was coached by Danny Rocco, who was fired Nov. 29.
Delaware is looking for its seventh national championship in football, and Blue Hens wide receiver Thyrick Pitts says this year's team is capable of accomplishing that feat. "In 2018, we already knew the kind of talent that we had, and we really relied on our talent to try to win us a lot of games," said Hill. † – Albany, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island opted out of the remainder of the spring season on March 31, April 6, and April 7 respectively. The National Collegiate Athletic Association decided to take action and grant student-athletes an extra year of eligibility because of the lost season due to the pandemic.
This was the right move for the NCAA as it allowed student-athletes to make the decision of returning for their last year of eligibility. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Football Championship Subdivision moved what would have been the Fall 2020 football season to the spring of 2021. According to the university, tickets and attendance policies will be determined and announced at a later time.
Under the current plan, eleven teams from the respective conferences would get an automatic bid into the tournament, with another five teams having an at-large bid. The determination for which team will move on to the FCS playoffs will be determined by conference record among the 11 teams. The team with the best conference record among both divisions by the end of conference play will automatically qualify for the playoffs.
The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The third nonconference contest in the 11-game 2022 schedule will be Oct. 22 at home against MEAC member Morgan State, Rocco said Monday. Delaware was one of six spring FCS playoff qualifiers – it was a 16-team tourney then – that didn't make the back-to-normal 24-team fall bracket. In addition, Rocco is confident Henderson can retain the year of eligibility through an NCAA waiver after appearing in three games and a quarter of another, which would allow him to play through the 2023 season. Delaware hasn't truly been on a typical football calendar since COVID-19 shut things down after one spring practice in March 2020. That led to the fall season's move to the spring and all sorts of re-adjustments of conditioning sessions, meetings and other forms of preparation.
That included reviewing the success of the spring, when Delaware went 7-1 and reached the NCAA semifinals to restore some of the program's national luster, even though the Blue Hens couldn't repeat that in the fall. Dixie State, located in St. George, Utah, is an FCS independent after the former Division II school's 2020 move up to the Division I Western Athletic Conference. The WAC recently announced it will have an FCS football league in 2022 with some schools moving from other leagues, including former Delaware coach K.C. In nonconference games, Delaware faces first-time foe St. Francis (Pa.) of the Northeast Conference in the home opener Sept. 11, visits FCS Rutgers on Sept. 18 and hosts Dixie State on Oct. 30. Joe brings over 20 years of experience in news and radio to Delaware Public Media and the All Things Considered host position. He joined DPM in November 2019 as a reporter and fill-in ATC host after six years as a reporter and anchor at commercial radio stations in New Castle and Sussex Counties.
UD is one of two CAA teams to qualify for the playoffs joining James Madison. This Saturday night's game will also be the first time the Blue Hens have had a home game in six weeks. UD defensive back Nijuel Hill says the difference between this season and 2018 is experience and playing together as a unit. This is the second time in three seasons the Blue Hens are in the playoffs.. And that record earned them a home NCAA FCS playoff game this Saturday night against Northeast Conference champion Sacred Heart University. With the Hens' victory over archrival Villanova Saturday, UD completed the season at 5-0, including 3-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The Fightin' Blue Hens finished the 2019 season 5–7, 3–5 in CAA play to finish tied for ninth in the conference. Ticket holders for Saturday's game are welcome to attend an open practice inside Delaware Stadium for an in-person look at the Blue Hens on Saturday at 11 a.m. Tickets for the original game will be required for Saturday's event and there will be no in-person sales. The University of Delaware's remaining games on the schedule are at Delaware State and Villanova. The question for the Blue Hens will be centered around whether or not its senior class will choose to return to the team for one final season of Delaware football.
The playoffs will begin on April 24, with the championship game taking place on May 14, 15 or 16 in Frisco, Texas, according to the CAA. Last season, the Blue Hens combined for a 3-2 record against five of the six teams that will be featured in the North division. Delaware has not faced Maine the last two seasons, however, when the two teams met in 2017, the Blue Hens pulled out a victory over the Black Bears.
Each student-athlete will be required to electronically submit their two guests' names and contact numbers at least 24 hours prior to the start of the specific sporting event. The 2021 Winter Team pictures will be taken by Lifetouch Team Portraits. Below is a schedule of all Smyrna High School Winter sports along with the Picture Day ID for each team. To order your athlete's picture online, please click on the picture above and it will take you directly to the Lifetouch website where you can use the appropriate Picture Day ID for your athlete's sport.
Physicals are required for all athletes to try out for any team this spring. Delaware had previously announced nonconference 2022 games at Navy Sept. 3 and home against Delaware State Sept. 10. The Missouri Valley Football Conference tied the record for most FCS tourney qualifiers with six, equaling the CAA's 2018 amount.
Villanova and JMU both earned a seed, which only go to the top 8 teams, with JMU at No. 3 and Villanova at No. 5. The last time the CAA had two top-five seeds was 2010 (No. 2 William & Mary and No. 3 Delaware). Certainly, the coaches' message will be along the lines of what Delaware experienced in that NCAA quarterfinal victory at Jacksonville State last spring. Delaware coaches will have season-ending exit interviews with players next week, an annual rite. Of the four quarterbacks Delaware has recruited out of high school since Henderson, Anthony Paoletti has emerged as a valuable wildcat quarterback with limited passing skills and Cade Pribula has appeared in just one game.
Delaware launched into a traditional between-seasons football routine on Monday. The Blue Hens' 2021 seven-game spring schedule also begins against Maine on March 6 at Delaware Stadium. Find out how to watch, live stream or TV channel and game time information for the College Football matchup between the Villanova Wildcats and the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens on November 20, 2021. Masks covering the nose and mouth are required for the duration of your stay on the UD campus and in Delaware Stadium.
For the Spring 2021 season, Delaware will be returning 11 seniors, with seven of them being redshirt seniors. The group of seniors that the Blue Hens will return is filled with talent and experience, but one large question looms for the group. This change in schedule on top of the newly announced fall schedule makes for a busy 2021 for Delaware. Conference play will begin on Mar. 6 and end on April 17, according to statements from the CAA and the University of Delaware. The Blue Hens will begin their season on Mar. 6 at home against Maine. For tryout and practice times, see the information posted or check the team app.
University of Delaware's Athletic event policies and procedures for attending events. At the conclusion of the sporting event, all spectators must report to their vehicles immediately and exit the property. Standing in front of the bleachers, along the fences inside or outside the stadium or elsewhere on school grounds is not permitted. While seated in the bleachers, all nonfamily members must adhere to social distance requirements . Tickets will be available at the gate on day of the event until capacity limit is reached. Shane Thrift showed potential at cornerback and Stephen Rose at safety, Rocco added.
Jack Hall also got into three games as part of the defensive line rotation. Delaware State lost at North Carolina Central in its finale to finish 5-6, equaling its best record since 2013. That means 10 did return to the tourney field, so the back-to-back seasons weren't quite as detrimental to others as they were for Delaware, which suffered several key injuries.
