Suddenly, for what was being considered somewhat of a lost season, the Coast Guard Academy football team has a lot of work to do in the next two months.

On Monday, Coast Guard athletic director Dan Rose announced that the football, men's soccer and volleyball teams will play one-game seasons this fall against their biggest rival, the Merchant Marine Academy.

The two service academies will face off in volleyball on Oct. 24 and men's soccer on Oct. 31, both at Coast Guard, before the football team travels to play the Merchant Marine in Kings Point, N.Y., on Nov. 14 in their annual highly anticipated matchup for the Secretaries' Cup.

Coast Guard originally canceled its fall sports season on July 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although teams were allowed to practice.

C.C. Grant, in his first season as head football coach after replacing Bill George, who retired after 21 seasons, will start his career in the rivalry game, which for the last two seasons has been televised on the ESPN family of networks. Grant was an assistant coach under George for his entire tenure.

"Maybe just a little bit," Grant said with a laugh Monday, asked about the change that will be required in the practice atmosphere.

"The seniors had already kind of stepped back and taken on more of a coaching role. It's going to, for a lot of guys it's going to be easier than others. The switch is going to flip quick. I'm going to tell them, 'If you're going to do this, it's all in.' I think they will be. Just the fact they get to actually play a game."

Grant said all the participants will be tested for COVID-19 before and after the game.

Among the other service academies, Division I Air Force has also announced it will be playing a two-game schedule, taking on fellow service members Navy on Oct. 3 and Army on Nov. 7.

"I think it says volumes for both schools," Grant said. "It shows how different we are. We're blessed. We're lucky to have all the kids here."

"I am very excited to announce our intention to compete in single-game competition with the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy this fall in the sports of volleyball, men's soccer and football," Rose said in a press release. "This decision was arrived at following close examination of our current safety protocols and a commitment to follow NCAA guidance with regard to testing and other resocialization of sport standards."

Grant said he hopes to focus solely on strength and conditioning until approximately Oct. 1.

"They have to get themselves physically ready over the next couple weeks before we move into a game-plan mode," said Grant, who added that the Bears, who began practice Aug. 31, only donned their shoulder pads for the first time last Thursday.

He's somewhat more comfortable with the X's and O's. Merchant Marine is a proponent of the run-based triple-option offense.

"There's some comfort with how we want to defend against the triple," Grant said. "Same thing for offense. Ray (LaForte, offensive coordinator) has come up with game plans against their defense in the past and been very successful."

There are 22 members of Coast Guard's senior class, including captains John Barbera at quarterback and Eugene Bizer at linebacker. Senior wide receiver Justin Moffatt, has 164 career catches for 2,163 yards and 12 touchdowns, 193 yards shy of the all-time program record for receiving yards held by 1997 grad Christian Lee (2,356).

"I'm so happy these 20-some guys get to play one game against their arch-rival," Grant said. "I hope that every single senior decides they want to participate. They've been in some big ones (before)."

Coast Guard and Merchant Marine play annually for the Superintendents' Trophy, with one point going to each competition between the schools in all sports. Rose said to continue that tradition will "provide a source of morale for our corps of cadets."

It will also be the first career game for volleyball coach Mark Thomas.

"Although this is my first year as head coach, I have experienced the passion behind the rivalry as an assistant and our program cannot wait until Oct. 24," Thomas said in the press release.

"It's a great opportunity for players of both institutions to have a chance to compete in the game they love playing," men's soccer coach Chris Parsons said. "I know our guys will be incredibly excited to renew the rivalry between two successful programs."

v.fulkerson@theday.com