Why Boston College men’s soccer opted out of the 2020 ACC season

Icelandic forward Stefan Sigurdarson earned All-ACC Freshman Team honors in 2019. (Evan Scales/New England Soccer Journal)

The ACC is one of the last Division I conferences forging ahead with its Fall 2020 soccer season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, though the Boston College men’s program will no longer participate following a player-led decision.

The Eagles have opted out of competing after injuries and travel restrictions ensured they’d only have 16 available field players, plus a few goalies (they had 31 players last year, for comparison). That means BC’s first official game under new head coach Bob Thompson will have to wait, possibly until the Spring 2021 semester.

BC was slated to play its season-opener Oct. 2 against Syracuse, with the ACC moving to a six-game schedule and downsizing its postseason tournament.