Colonial Athletic Association football said it will not have a conference schedule this fall because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The 12 members of the conference, however, are allowed to pursue independent schedules.

The latter scenario is different from previous announcements made by the Ivy and Patriot leagues and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, where none of their members will have a fall sports season. Hampton, a Big South Conference member, also announced earlier this week it will not have fall competition.

The FCS — the lower half of Division I — has 13 conference and 127 member programs. The CAA is considered one of the three top conferences with the Big Sky and Missouri Valley, totaling 11 national championship game appearances between six different programs since 2003.

The James Madison Dukes, who have advanced to three of the last four national championship games, won the title in 2016. The Dukes are exploring playing outside the conference this year. Other conference members are hoping for a spring football season.