TALLAHASSEE – The Florida A&M University (FAMU) women’s basketball team will not compete this 2020-21 season due to concerns with COVID-19. 

The NCAA directed all member schools to provide student-athletes with an option to “opt-out” of competition this year due to concerns of the virus. In doing so, the NCAA will allow the student-athletes to keep that year of eligibility.  

The Rattlers began preseason camp with a limited number of players on the roster. With the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, it has been determined that moving forward would not be feasible.  

“We are very disappointed but obviously we are taking concerns and circumstances within the women’s basketball program and COVID-19 very seriously. Student-athletes’ health and safety is and will remain our top priority,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Kortne Gosha said. “The department of athletics and the University are committed to adhering to all COVID-19 protocols and making sure we keep every Rattler student-athlete safe.  

“We will continue to support our student-athletes as the navigate these difficult times. We apologize to our scheduled opponents, as we know this will present scheduling challenges. However, we must keep student-athlete safety as our number one priority.” 

First year head coach Shalon Pillow also expressed disappointment over cancellation of the season. 

“I’m disappointed for my two seniors and the young ladies who have worked very hard to get to this point; however, the safety and health of our student-athletes is our top priority. Although this was a tough decision, we will continue to support our young ladies during this time.”

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Gulf South Conference will postpone competition in basketball, football, soccer, and volleyball until at least January 1.

These sports are identified as high contact risk sports by the NCAA and are subject to significant testing requirements for all student-athletes and “inner bubble” personnel.

Three significant factors helped the conference Board of Directors in determining this course of action:

    1.  Health and safety of student-athletes and campus communities;
    2.  Mandated participation protocols from the NCAA Board of Governors, most notably the requirements related to Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition;
    3.  NCAA Division II Fall Championships cancellation.

Cross Country and Golf competition will be permitted during the fall semester with the GSC Cross Country Championship date potentially moved to better accommodate the calendar. Designated as low contact risk and medium contact risk, these sports feature more manageable testing and monitoring requirements per NCAA medical guidance as well as limited competition opportunities.

All practice, strength and conditioning, team meetings, and other countable athletic related activities (CARA) shall be subject to NCAA rules, NCAA health and safety requirements, and institutional discretion.

In the sports of football, soccer, and volleyball, the conference will evaluate options for spring competition that provide meaningful competition for these student-athletes. A spring season may not feature the use of traditional formats for regular season play or tournaments.

In the sport of basketball, the GSC will work over the next several weeks to outline a calendar for this year’s basketball schedule and tournament. Further, the conference will work through the NCAA governance process to advocate for additional weeks of competition in the spring semester.

There is no change in spring sport competition at this time.

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The SAC will move all of its fall sports – women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, football, field hockey and men’s and women’s cross country – to the spring semester.

Commissioner Patrick Britz said in a release that it was a tough decision.

“Much like the decision we had to make back in March to cancel spring sports, this decision to postpone fall sports was very difficult for our administration to make,” Britz said. “But the health and safety of our student-athletes is our number one priority and we feel the decision to postpone our fall seasons is the best for their safety and well-being, and it gives us the best opportunity to play. While this still does not guarantee our fall sports will be able to compete during the 2021 spring season, it gives us the best chance to continue to monitor the situation.”

The SAC has also chosen to temporarily suspend all athletically-related activities, including practices, weight training, and voluntary workouts for all sports until September 1.

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ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Council of Presidents on Monday announced that we intend to begin fall competition for the sports of men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball, and men’s and women’s soccer on Sept. 15, 2020.

It is the AAC’s intention to play conference-only games in the fall, and that the regularly scheduled conference championships will be completed as scheduled in the fall. Championship dates may change if needed to accommodate the conference-only schedules.

No outside competition in any sport will be permitted before Sept. 15 to include scrimmages and exhibition games. Inter-squad scrimmages are permitted. Member institutions may schedule non-conference games in the spring as desired up to the maximum allowable by the NAIA. Our member schools will provide non-conference competition in the Spring for those AAC teams selected for the NAIA national tournaments if needed.

As a result of the recent decision by the full NAIA Council of Presidents to allow conferences to determine their own testing protocols, the AAC will not require preparticipation COVID-19 testing for all student-athletes. Each member institution may establish its own testing requirements consistent with local and state guidelines and policies. However, should a student-athlete present with symptoms Conference and institution policies will be followed.

The AAC recognizes that as circumstances change, we will remain flexible to respond keeping the safety and well-being of our students and staff at the forefront of our decisions.

“We want to get our students on campus and settled into the ‘new routine’ before allowing athletic competition,” Commissioner John Sullivan said. “Delaying competition until Sept. 15 gives us that ‘breathing room’ to establish new habits to ensure that we do not have an outbreak of COVID-19. From that point on we can complete our conference-only schedule and still finish before Thanksgiving. Pushing soccer and volleyball to the Spring would over-tax our facilities with multiple sports competing for time on a single field or gymnasium. Additionally, our athletic training and sports information staffs would be overwhelmed with trying to accommodate double the normal load of student-athletes and contests. Finally, and most importantly, the academic disruption with games nearly every day is clearly undesirable.

“Since the NAIA has moved the national championships for soccer and volleyball to the spring, our national tournament qualifiers will be able to compete in non-conference contests in the spring, including conference opponents if needed, to prepare for the championships.

“We continue to monitor the federal, state, and local guidelines and policies and remain flexible to make changes as the situation develops. Our goal is to continue to provide a great student-athlete experience while maintaining the highest competitive and safety standards.”

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The NAIA set forth guidelines earlier in the month to allow for practice to begin on August 15 and competition beginning no earlier than September 5. The Sun Conference will put things into motion according to those guidelines, with no delay factored in.

Conference commissioner said in the release he believes successful fall seasons are possible.

“Our conference is committed to doing everything we can to provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to compete this fall,” Wilke said. “We believe we have an opportunity to have successful fall seasons, but that will only be possible if everyone in our conference family, and especially our student-athletes, are steadfast in doing their part to create a safe environment. 

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –  The Gulf South Conference will delay the start of intercollegiate competition in the fall semester to either the last week of September or the first week of October.
 
The Board of Directors approved the delay on Tuesday afternoon and provided a period of time for institutions to inform their student-athletes. 
 
Administrators from across the league will jointly work on a schedule that fits the timeline for competition in an effort to provide a meaningful fall competition season for conference members. To accommodate this new schedule, soccer, volleyball, and football will exclusively play against conference opponents. 
 
Additionally, a corresponding delay to the beginning of official practices will be instituted. 
 
New schedules and additional details on implementation of the delayed fall season will be distributed by the conference as they are approved by the membership.
 
The conference will continue to monitor the situation and will be prepared to make any further changes prior to the start of practice for the adjusted championship segment.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced the postponement of all scheduled fall contests along with SWAC championships due to continuing concerns related to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The fall sports impacted include men’s and women’s cross country, football, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball. The conference has started the process of formalizing plans to conduct a competitive schedule for the fall sports during the 2021 spring semester.

Specifically, in the sport of football the plan includes a seven-game conference schedule beginning with an eight-week training period in January 2021. Each member institution will play a total of six conference games (four divisional/two non-divisional) with the option to play one non-conference game. 

Additional details regarding scheduling for women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country along with the Cricket Wireless SWAC Football Championship game will be released at a later date.

Fall sports teams and student-athletes will have the opportunity to attend classes and practices in preparation for a spring 2021 competitive schedule upon return to campus. Student-athletes will have the ability to participate in conditioning, strength training and practices in all sports provided all required local, state, and federal health and safety guidelines are met. There have been no final decisions made regarding competitive schedules for the league’s winter sports at this time.     

The SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors felt this action was necessary out of growing concern for the health, safety and well-being both mentally and physically of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, team staff, campus faculty, fans and supporters.

The continued increase of COVID-19 cases across many portions of the league’s geographic footprint and Southern regions of the country played a significant role in the council’s decision, along with data that suggests African-American communities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The SWAC shares in the disappointment that will undoubtedly be felt by student-athletes, fans, and supporters impacted by the postponement of fall sports competition. The league will continue to review appropriate measures to ensure the health, safety and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, administrators and the local community which continues to be the primary responsibility of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and its member institutions.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference COVID-19 Advisory Committee has identified baseline best practices to support a safe return to sporting activity. These best practices were shared in detail in the SWAC’s COVID-19 plan that was distributed among the league’s institutional leadership. 

The SWAC COVID-19 advisory committee adopted the following principles in developing recommended practices for local planning for return to sporting activity.

• The Health and Safety of student -athletes, team staff, and coaches shall remain at the forefront of all institutional and conference COVID-19 planning.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with Local and State Government Health Agencies will continue to guide institutional and conference decisions related to COVID-19.
• Management of external factors to decrease transmission (including the wearing of masks and rigorous cleaning and disinfection procedures).
• Minimize and eliminate exposure to all environments that cannot meet CDC recommended standards related to appropriate social distancing and sanitization (including strict physical and social distancing guidelines). The only social distancing exceptions shall occur when student-athletes participate in a physical or team activity supervised or conducted by a coach and athletics trainer and in such cases, alternative and appropriate precautions should also be considered. 
• Early detection (including screening, testing and temperature checks).
• Containment strategies (including contact tracing, and isolation of those infected with COVID-19 and those exposed to the virus).

Prior to a SWAC member institution beginning the process of the return of student-athletes to campus, all Federal, State and Local criteria should first be met.

According to the NCAA- “In all instances, college athletics must operate with approval of the students’ institutional leadership: and the institution must be operating in accordance with local and state public officials with regard to return to campus, return to practice, and return to competition. In the end, institutional and governmental leadership determine who can participate in; assist with; and watch student-athlete practices and completion.”

The Southwestern Athletic Conference reminds everyone to please continue to be attentive to everyday preventive actions identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov).

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KANSAS CITY – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced today that it is cancelling the spring 2020 sports season, effective immediately.

“All possible scenarios that would have supported a spring sports season were seriously considered by multiple NAIA governance groups,” said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. “However, the growing state of emergency due to COVID-19, as well as the Center for Disease Control’s recommendation yesterday to limit gatherings to fewer than 50 people for eight weeks, meant we could not in good conscience move forward with the spring sports season and championships.”

In an effort to provide relief, no spring sport student-athlete will be charged a season of competition. Any spring sport student-athlete who was enrolled full-time in 2020 will be awarded two additional semester terms of attendance or the equivalent.

The NAIA is continuing to address outstanding questions related to these unprecedented changes and will share new information as it becomes available.

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INDIANAPOLIS – On, Thursday, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships.

This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.

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