One of the Chattanooga Red Wolves' soccer teams had its season canceled before it had a chance to get started.
Another one is still holding out hope.
The Women's Premier Soccer League recently announced a cancellation of the 2020 season, ending the chances for the Lady Red Wolves, who won the WPSL Southeast Conference in their debut last year, to repeat as champions.
Meanwhile, the United Soccer League's League One is still in a holding pattern as to the status of its season, which gives the Red Wolves some hope that there still will be a 2020 campaign.
The Lady Red Wolves finished 10-2-1 overall and 8-1-1 in the Southeast Conference before falling to the Charlotte Eagles in the semifinals of the South regional playoffs last year.
"We went through all scenarios possible in order to get our players on the field this summer and complete a national season," WPSL president Sean Jones said in a news release. "However, it became apparent that to play matches in certain areas of the country in June and July would be irresponsible and a potential health risk."
There's far less clarity as to what will happen for the Red Wolves men. The USL canceled its League Two campaign while maintaining that its Championship and League One divisions are just suspended at this time. The previous suspension was supposed to expire May 10, but the USL will await further guidance and clarity from local, state and national health authorities before announcing a new earliest return to play date.
The Red Wolves finished 10-8-10 in their inaugural season, which gave them 40 total points in the standings and left them three points out of the final playoff spot.
The organization announced plans in November 2018 to build a new stadium, which became part of a $125 million development adjacent to Camp Jordan. The stadium isn't complete yet, but general manager Sean McDaniel told the Times Free Press in April that the club expects to hold all home matches at the East Ridge venue, CHI Memorial Stadium, if there is a season, a point he reiterated in a release last week.
"While we anxiously wait to reunite with our fans and get back out on the pitch, the well-being of our fans, players and staff is of the utmost importance," McDaniel said. "We greatly appreciate the strong support and patience from our fans as we continue to navigate through this global pandemic together. While the USL Board of Governors look to announce a new start date soon, we will continue focusing on our philanthropic efforts, supporting our city and watching our new home, CHI Memorial Stadium, come to life."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.