Today Southwestern University President Laura E. Skandera Trombley announced that the presidents of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) unanimously decided to suspend fall intercollegiate competition for cross country, soccer, and volleyball. This is the first time in conference history that the fall season will be canceled.
"After much deliberation and consideration, Southwestern will be joining the colleges in the SCAC in not holding athletic competitions in the fall," stated Trombley. "The challenge of keeping our student-athletes safe during competition amid the rapid increases in COVID-19 infections is too great. Our students' health and safety is our primary goal, and the travel and interaction that comes with participation in collegiate sports make meeting that goal very difficult. I know this news will be enormously disappointing for our students as it is for me. The SCAC presidents have asked our athletic directors and coaches to investigate whether an abbreviated schedule could be created for the spring semester. There has been no decision as of this time regarding football, which falls under the American Southwest Conference."
The decision was tough, according to SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "After putting together, a COVID-19 Task Force made up of administrators from each member institution, we thought we had landed on a reasonable plan for resocialization that would have allowed for measured increases of athletic activities upon our arrival student-athletes coming out of summer break," continued Hanberry. "However, with recent spikes in cases, especially within our footprint, the decision to discontinue sports during the Fall semester and allow our campuses to focus on the health and safety of all students within a structured environment became the logical outcome."
President Trombley emphasized that the cancellation of the season in no way means eliminating any sports programs or furloughs or cuts of athletic administration, staff, or coaches. The expectation is that Southwestern student-athletes will conduct conditioning, strength training, and other practice opportunities during the fall semester, as health and safety conditions allow. This includes training for spring sports such as golf and tennis that utilize the fall for non-traditional activities.
Southwestern's Athletic Director, Glenn Schwab, indicated the conferences are reviewing the possibility of conducting the fall seasons in the spring of 2021. "Southwestern is working with the schools in our conferences to determine whether spring competitions are a possibility. It is something we would all like to see happen, especially for our student-athletes."
According to NCAA Division, III rules athletes will retain a year of eligibility if the athletic conference schedule is canceled. Decisions on partial seasons or the student-athlete clock will have to be determined by the NCAA.
"We held out making this decision in the hope of returning to a regular academic year, which for many of us means all of the great fall sports," said President Trombley. "I hope our student-athletes use the same rigor and discipline they apply in their field of competition to help them overcome this temporary setback. Southwestern will be there to support these men and women; I ask Pirate fans everywhere to do the same."
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