As students return to campus this fall, there will be two major components that will make this year different than in the past: the lights at Kathy Zolad stadium will not be on for soccer matches and Saturdays will be quiet without football games at Dellacamera.

While games are not being played, that doesn’t mean the athletes aren’t working. Now more than ever those student-athletes have to push themselves harder to stay in shape and be prepared for whenever their seasons start up again.

Many coaches are coordinating what they can and cannot do as a team, with there being new requirements and guidelines they must follow for practices. While the coaches wait to hear what they have to do, many athletes are going to Kathy Zolad Stadium and holding practices on their own, or to the David Beckerman Recreation Center to work out or run on the indoor track. Others are finding their own ways to prepare for future seasons.

One obstacle that all teams and individuals face is the requirement to wear masks. Many athletes are questioning how they are supposed to condition and practice while wearing a mask, and if that will become a requirement for competition during their seasons.

As the fall continues, the Charger Bulletin will report on what fall teams are doing, how coaches are preparing for their respective seasons once their teams are able to play, and athletes’ thoughts and feelings about the delay.

There is also the looming question that arose last year about the move from Division 2 to Division 1. How does this delay effect that transition and what, if any, movements are still in the works?

This fall holds more questions than it does answers for not only athletes and coaches, but also for the charger community that loves to support their fellow students taking in the competition and living the college life.

This fall we plan to answer all of these questions and more, as we gain insight towards what is going on in the athletics world during this time.