Wheaton, Ill. – On January 7, as part of the CCIW's announcement of winter sports schedules, the league also said that it would be revealing schedules for fall sports to compete in the spring - including football. The CCIW is allowing each fall program to make its own decision about participating in these games and scrimmages amongst league opponents. The Wheaton football program has made the decision to not compete in these contests. The Thunder football team will hold practices and intrasquad scrimmages this spring in preparation for the 2021 season.

Thunder head football coach Jesse Scott says of his team's plans for the spring, "We are excited about the opportunity this year will bring, including the spring semester that we have planned." Scott notes of not competing against CCIW programs this spring, "after facing the challenging news that our season was cancelled at the end of July 2020, we committed to orienting our decision-making around the Fall 2021 season. I challenged our team, understanding that our seniors were in a unique position, to view their decision-making around continuing to compete for the Thunder through a Fall 2021 lens - not knowing what this spring would bring.  From that point forward, individual and collective decisions have been made with the Fall of 2021 in mind.  This was affirmed as the right decision with many of our fourth-year and fifth-year seniors quickly committing to their fifth and sixth falls, respectively.  It was then again affirmed in the aftermath of the NCAA's cancellation of fall championships for the academic year and a subsequent decision by the CCIW to cancel fall sport championships."

Scott reflects on those that are unable to return for the Fall 2021 season. "This year was full of disappointment on a variety of levels.  This decision officially brings closure to the careers of several of our players who were hoping for spring competition.  We regret that they missed out on a season of competition, after investing an entire off-season worth of preparation in order to compete.  They were and always will be Wheaton Football Players."

Following completion of the upcoming spring season and the 2020-21 academic calendar, Thunder football players will return to campus on August 11, 2021 to begin fall practice for the Fall 2021 season. Wheaton opens its 2021 schedule on September 4, 2021 at home against University of Northwestern (Minn.). LINK TO 2021 SCHEDULE