HAMBURG, N.Y. - The past five months have most assuredly been some of the most challenging that we have experienced as a higher education community. Last March, we made difficult decisions regarding spring sport training and competition as were just beginning to learn about Covid-19. While we have learned more as the pandemic has ensued, there are still many unknowns about its impact on health.
Women's Soccer, Men's Soccer, and Women's Volleyball are three of our fall sports that fall into a high risk category. With this, we have made the very difficult decision to transition competition opportunities for the sports of men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's volleyball into the Spring 2021 semester.
At this point, we are still reviewing but intend to compete in the sports of golf and cross country this fall as these sports, with modifications, have elements of social distancing inherently imbedded within them.
The recent release of the NCAA Sport Science Institute's Resocialization of Collegiate Sport guidelines share an increased emphasis on more regular testing, social distancing and the wearing of face coverings, and physical activity taking place in outdoor locations or well-ventilated indoor facilities when outdoor training is not possible. The guidelines also classify sports into risk categories based on their inherent abilities to socially distance.
We will continue to work with our conference and regional colleagues to develop a competitive schedule for these sports in the Spring as far as NCAA, state, and regional guidelines permit. In addition, we aim to provide training opportunities for these student-athletes during the fall semester.
In alignment with NCAA regulations, we will monitor and review opportunities for student-athlete eligibility waivers and relief.
Earlier this summer, the NCAA shared that student-athletes participating in less than 50% of their sport's allowable maximum number of contests would receive their year back regardless of how many competitions they participated in or if they practiced after their team's first date of competition.
A decision has not yet been made about our winter sports, and we will continue to monitor the environment to help guide this planning. We plan to make a decision later this semester regarding these sports.
