By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

Next month, if all goes according to plan, Football Championship Subdivision teams across the nation will begin an abbreviated spring season. Last fall, the Bowl Subdivision provided a blueprint.

There were issues and interruptions, and not everyone got in a full season. But for the most part, the FBS season was a success, right down to Alabama's win over Ohio State in the national championship game.

So as his team begins preseason practice Friday, William & Mary coach Mike London is preparing for what is guaranteed to be a season unlike any other. A key element will be working players at multiple positions in case COVID-19 wreaks havoc on the depth chart.

"Kids that were multi-position players in high school, even though they signed to play a particular position here, they might be called upon in an emergency situation," London said. "Part of the practices will be structured towards players having to play multiple roles or at least a couple roles.

"The skill set is hopefully why you offered the young man. You don't throw the whole playbook at them, but they can learn some critical plays or situational opportunities for them to be successful while using their athletic ability. Being creative and adaptive, that's the new normal."

Not that you'll see quarterback Hollis Mathis split time at linebacker or defensive end Carl Fowler getting reps at running back. But in their high school days, receivers often doubled as defensive backs and linemen played on both sides of the ball.

"You're a PCR test away from having to rely on someone else who perhaps played the position in high school," London said. "We've adopted a 'so-what, now-what' mentality for things that happen and reacting to them. That's where we are now."

There is another difference to consider. When preseason drills normally begin in late July or early August, the players have three or four weeks with no classes. For the spring, online classes started Jan. 25 and in-person sessions are set to begin Wednesday.

"The school has done a great job in terms of everyone producing negative test results prior to showing up to these classes," London said. "And we will keep doing what Dr. Virginia Wells (Chief Medical Officer/Director of Medical Services) has us doing in terms of safe-guarding our student athletes.

"We keep talking about the virtues of practicing those things that will allow us to continue. It's an ongoing aspect of being highly vigilant, day to day and hour to hour."

For the spring, the Colonial Athletic Association has assigned a six-game schedule for each team. The members of the South Division — Elon, James Madison, Richmond, and William & Mary — will play each other twice home-and-home. The North — Albany, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Stony Brook, and Villanova — will play each other once.

Towson opted out for the spring.

The Tribe is scheduled open at Richmond on March 6. Its first home game is slated for March 20 against Elon.

Athletes will not lose a season of eligibility during the 2020-21 year. That in mind, there are different methods for how to approach this six-game spring.

"There are some coaches who just want to use this for playing their younger guys because the NCAA rules allow everybody to come back," London said. "You can get some younger players some game-time experience other than your spring practices you'd normally have at this time."

London also sees it from another angle. William & Mary's last football game was Nov. 23, 2019. Assuming the March 6 opener goes off without a hitch, it will be 67 weeks (or 469 days) between games. All that time, his players have been waiting … and hoping.

"Every opportunity to play and compete," he said, "is a gift."