Clarification: The headline has been adjusted to better reflect the return of 2021 fall and spring sports.
The Patriot League announced on Friday that it would resume all fall and spring sports in 2021, including regular-season schedules for field hockey, lacrosse, men's and women's soccer and volleyball. Men's and women's cross country, outdoor track and field and swim and dive will compete in championships with no regular-season schedule.
American University wrestling, which is part of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association, has a match scheduled for Jan. 29, and two matches tentatively scheduled for Jan. 15 and Feb. 7. As with its basketball schedules, Patriot League field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball are limited to conference play, meaning athletes will compete against a smaller number of teams in their geographic area.
Spring sports in the 2019-20 season were cut short in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and were not able to return. Fall sports for the 2020-21 season were entirely unable to compete in the fall, due to COVID-19 precautions.
The schedules
Official schedules that outline game-by-game competition have not been released, outside of the wrestling schedule.
AU field hockey will play a six-game, conference-only schedule beginning on March 7, with a four-team conference tournament scheduled from April 22 to April 24.
The Patriot League's 10 women's lacrosse programs will be split into two five-team divisions for the 2021 season, with AU competing in the South Division against Bucknell, Lehigh, Loyola Maryland and the Navy. The season is set to start on March 6, with a four-team conference tournament set for May 6 to May 8.
Both soccer programs will begin on Feb. 27, with AU playing in the same South Division as lacrosse. AU will play each divisional opponent at least once, playing a minimum of six games. The conference has not announced a championship schedule.
AU volleyball will begin its 10-match conference-only schedule on Feb. 19, with a four-team tournament scheduled for April 2 and April 3.
The swimming programs are scheduled for four days of championship competition from April 21 to April 24. Indoor track will compete on Feb. 27 or Feb. 28, and outdoor track championships will run on April 30 and May 1. Cross country championships will return on March 5.
