On Friday, the SWAC announced a drop-dead date for playing a fall football season.
If the season cannot begin before Oct. 17, the conference has determined, it will not play at all this fall and instead attempt to play in the spring, pending NCAA approval.
"Anything after the third week in October, we have decided that's our drop-dead date, that we wouldn't have sports, and possibly look at the spring, but the spring would take some NCAA legislation," SWAC commissioner Charles McClelland told ESPN.
The SWAC has already endured the cancellation of individual contests.
The Southern Heritage Classic, to be played at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis between SWAC member Jackson State and Tennessee State, was canceled for the first time in the event's 31-year history. Southern's Week 1 game against Tennessee State in Detroit has also been canceled, and Jackson State's opener against NAIA Langston (Okla.) is not expected to happen.
The SWAC does not have a massive television contract, but the league annually leads FCS in conference-wide attendance -- a major source of revenue for the conference, and one that's bound to take a hit this season even under the best of circumstances.
"If this thing doesn't die down, I think you're probably going to start to see closer to July and on into August more and more conversation about postponement and pushing the season back," McClelland said. "Spring is something that I don't think has a lot of momentum within the membership, but if this virus continues to do what it's doing on into August and September, I think you're going to see another look at where we are and where we need to be."