NCAA Adjusts Soccer National Championship For BYU’s No Sunday Rule
Dec 3, 2021, 11:43 PM
BYU Women's Soccer All-American Mikayla Colohan celebrates after the Cougars defeat Santa Clara in the 2021 College Cup. (Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)
(Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s soccer is now gearing up for the program’s first-ever appearance in the National Championship after a thrilling victory over Santa Clara on Friday night.
Luckily for the high-powered Cougars, the NCAA moved around their schedule to allow BYU the chance to play for a title.
Rise and shout, the Cougars are heading to the NATTY 🎶 pic.twitter.com/TIX1qtVf1o
— BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) December 4, 2021
Typically, the NCAA Women’s Soccer National Championship is played on Sundays. However, BYU, owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, does not compete on Sundays. So to accommodate BYU, the National Championship match between No. 4 BYU and No. 1 Florida State will instead be played on Monday, December 6.
“We’re certainly grateful that the NCAA was willing to move the game for us so that we could participate on Monday,” said BYU women’s soccer head coach Jennifer Rockwood to the BYU Sports Network after defeating Santa Clara on penalty kicks. “I know that’s a big ask for them to do what they do to move the event.”
BYU Women’s Soccer will face Florida State for the title
The NCAA once had a “BYU rule” that prevented NCAA Championships from playing on Sundays. But in the late 1990s, the NCAA dropped that rule opening the door for Sunday competition in their championship events.
#BYU vs. Florida State — Women’s Soccer National Championship on Monday, December 6 at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.
The women’s soccer title typically takes place on Sundays. NCAA accommodates #BYU’s “No Sunday” rule. #BYUwSOC @kslsports
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 4, 2021
BYU has never wavered on its stance to not compete on Sundays and to keep the Sabbath day holy.
The championship moving to a Monday gives both BYU and Florida State more time to heal after each team went through physical matches in the National Semifinals. Florida State defeated Rutgers 1-0 before BYU took down Santa Clara 0-0 (3-2 in penalty kicks).
Kick-off for BYU versus Florida State from Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara on Monday at 6 p.m. (MT) and will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
