Another year has kicked off at Millsaps! Campus is starting to look more like it did before the pandemic – almost. Almost all classes are now in person, and Millsaps athletics are looking a little more normal. Most fall sports have begun the season or are starting soon, and there are some interesting changes this year. 

First, unlike last season, all fall sports are having normal seasons lengthwise. COVID-19 guidelines have also changed. Vaccinated student athletes do not have to undergo COVID-19 testing. Meanwhile, unvaccinated student athletes are tested three times a week during weeks of competition and required to pay for the tests out of pocket. You can read more about the COVID-19 guidelines for student athletes here. 

Fan policy has also changed from last season. At outdoor events, there are no limits on fan capacity or mask restrictions. At indoor events there is currently no fan capacity, however, fans are required to be masked. See updates and more information about the College’s guidelines for fans here.  

Millsaps has a total of 6 fall sports, most of which have already begun or are about to begin. Football kicked the season off at Belhaven with a tough loss of 28-56. Although this season began a little rough, the football team is surely excited to be back with 10 regular season games this season, unlike last year’s shortened season of 4. Homecoming Weekend is October 9^th, and the game will be played against Barry College. Hopefully, the eased outdoor mask and fan policy will be sure to attract the Millsaps community to the game! 

Women and Men’s Soccer began August 22^nd and August 23^rd, respectively, with exhibition games. Men’s Soccer has 17 regular season games, while the Women’s team has 15. Both teams started the season with a loss, but there is still much to look forward to as neither team takes on a conference opponent until September 24^th against Rhodes. 

Another sport that was an early starter at Millsaps was Cross Country. The Men and Women’s teams began their season with a scrimmage September 1^st down the road at Mississippi College. Two days later, the season officially opened at the Mississippi College Season Opener. Both teams placed 4^th in the event with 8 total teams competing on the Women’s side, and 9 on the Men’s. Impressive 5K times by Isabel Baird at 21:07.3 and Landry Lemoine at 16:38.1 helped both Majors cross country teams place in the upper half of the event. 

Switching lanes to Millsaps Swimming, the Men’s and Women’s teams dive into competition October 16^th at Rhodes. Swim is one of the few sports at Millsaps that begins in the fall and won’t end until early spring. Each team has a total of 16 days of competition, which is a huge improvement from the 9 days of competition in the last two seasons. The extra meets are sure to help the Millsaps’ newest program develop even more than it already has.  

A sport that is not new to Millsaps but has welcomed a new coach is golf. After playing much of last season without a coach, the program was excited to welcome Coach Michael Fluty this July to be the Director of Golf at Millsaps.  The Men’s team took on the Rhodes College Fall Collegiate Classic this past weekend, and the women are taking on Centenary College this week.   

Last but certainly not least, Millsaps’ Volleyball has a whopping 21 regular season games this year versus last year’s 12. The Majors began this season September 1^st with an exhibition match, defeating Northwest Mississippi Community College 3 sets to 2. The official season had a slower start, losing the first two matches; however, the team bounced back winning the next five matches. The Majors hope to keep this hot streak alive with their next 14 games against conference opponents! The SAA tournament begins November 5^th, and as of now, Millsaps’ Volleyball is looking to do well. 

The six fall sports are excited to get back into action, especially with the lightened COVID-19 policies. The Millsaps community will watch eagerly, in person, as their athletes compete for conference!