The X League will push back the opening day of this year¡¯s fall season about a month and prepare a shorter schedule because of the coronavirus outbreak, the National Football Association announced on Tuesday.
The 20-club industrial league usually begins its regular season in late August and wraps up the campaign with the Japan X Bowl in mid-December. This year, however, the X League will have its opening day in October and shorten the season, though the the league¡¯s organizing body has yet to disclose the details.
¡°In a normal year the clubs would have started working out in order to build the foundation of the team around mid-February to mid-March, but many have not reached that stage,¡¯¡¯ the NFA wrote. ¡°The coronavirus pandemic has also prevented clubs from recruiting new players. The NFA has decided the X League should go with Plan B (delaying and shortening the season) in order to give clubs time to prepare.¡¯¡¯
The X League¡¯s spring activities, including the Pearl Bowl tournament in Kanto, the Green Bowl tournament in Kansai and exhibition games, have been canceled.
Japan¡¯s college football officials have yet to make an official announcement on the status of their fall season.
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