WESTFIELD, Mass. - Worcester State University, in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, announced Friday morning that all winter sports competition has been cancelled for the 2020-21 season.
Below is the complete statement from the MASCAC on Friday morning.
The NCAA has released winter sport guidelines and the state of Massachusetts recently updated their winter sport policies. After an in-depth review of the information from the state and NCAA, consultation among the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Presidents, athletic directors, and athletic trainers and after exhausting all possibilities, including a review of the risks involved, the eight MASCAC Presidents have made the difficult decision to cancel all winter sports competition. This includes the sports of men’s and women’s basketball, men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s indoor track & field.
Similar to the fall sports, the state universities are planning to provide winter sport student-athletes with on-campus, in-person practices, conditioning and training opportunities throughout their traditional season to support their physical and mental well-being. These practice and training opportunities will not use a year of NCAA Eligibility and will be done in compliance with the campus, state, federal and NCAA COVID guidance and protocols.
“The MASCAC Presidents have been continuously observing the pandemic and guidelines from local, state, federal and NCAA officials which has led us to the decision to cancel winter sports competition during the spring semester,” said Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts President James Birge, Chair of the MASCAC Council of Presidents.
Affiliates will be able to schedule nonconference contests at their discretion.
“We explored countless scenarios to find a safe path forward with the evolving recommendations and policies from the NCAA and the state for our winter sport student-athletes,” said MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann. “After consultation with our medical staff and athletic directors, the MASCAC Presidents came to the conclusion there is not a way to ensure the safety of our student-athletes and staff with off campus winter competition, the risks are far too great.”
Throughout the 2020-21 academic year, the MASCAC will be celebrating its 50th anniversary with special features, facts and trivia commemorating the event. Our conference has a rich history of success on the playing field and in the classroom. Over the academic year, the conference will be highlighting the student-athletes, teams, coaches, and administrators from the last 50 years.
President James F. Birge, Council of Presidents Chair
President Fred Clark, Bridgewater State University
President Richard S. Lapidus, Fitchburg State University
President F. Javier Cevallos, Framingham State University
Admiral Francis X. McDonald, Massachusetts Maritime Academy
President John D. Keenan, Salem State University
Interim President Roy H. Saigo, Westfield State University
President Barry Maloney, Worcester State University
Angela Baumann, MASCAC Commissioner
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