The collegiate athletic landscape continues to change for the upcoming fall season. Another NCAA Division III conference, one that features many Franklin County student-athletes, announced on Thursday that it would not be playing games this fall.
The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) announced that the conference’s eight school presidents made the decision to suspend the fall 2020 athletic season, including all indoor and outdoor athletic competition.
The conference includes Westfield State University, as well as schools like Worcester State University, Fitchburg State University, Mass. College of Liberal Arts, Framingham State University and Bridgewater State University.
“I am extremely disappointed to have to announce to our student-athletes and families that our fall season teams will not have the opportunity to play intercollegiate games this fall,” said Westfield State Athletic Director Richard Lenfest Jr. “The COVID-19 pandemic has had an extreme impact on public health, and ultimately we need to take the steps that best protect the health of our student-athletes and their loved ones in limiting the opportunity to spread or contract the virus.”
The conference joins the likes of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), which features Amherst College and Williams College. Several Division I conferences have announced that they are only playing conference games this fall.
“The MASCAC Presidents know the value of intercollegiate athletics to our campus community and how important sports are to our student-athletes,” said MCLA President James Birge, Chair of the MASCAC Council of Presidents. “The news that we need to suspend the fall season is understandably disappointing, but the health and safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance. These are unprecedented times and making the difficult decision to suspend fall athletics is equally unprecedented. We will continue to monitor the facts and reevaluate the status of athletics as information and data evolves.”
The MASCAC said it has been meeting regularly with its presidents, athletic directors, athletic trainers and other essential staff to consider ways to bring student-athletes back to the playing field safely while adhering to all state, federal and NCAA guidelines with the health and well-being of student-athletes and staff as its priority.
“Unfortunately, the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus and the risk of community spread through conference competition proved too great a risk to our student athletes to engage in conference play,” MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann said. “With the health and well-being of our student-athletes and our staff as our priority, we made the difficult decision to suspend the fall 2020 MASCAC season.”
Although there won’t be fall contests, the state universities are planning to provide student-athletes with “on-campus, in-person practices, conditioning and training opportunities during the fall semester to support their physical and mental well-being.” Student-athletes will not have to use a year of NCAA eligibility.
As for the future, the MASCAC is “considering alternative competition options such as shifting fall athletics to the spring,” a release from the conference read. “The conference is working with the NCAA, conference teams, MASCAC presidents and state officials to determine the viability of such a plan. Winter sports are still being evaluated and will be addressed in the fall.”