BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced it will postpone competition in cross country, football, soccer, and volleyball for the fall 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday afternoon. The conference is working to develop spring schedules for those sports, which have been deemed at medium- or high-risk for coronavirus transmission by the NCAA.
Men's and women's golf and tennis - categorized as low-risk sports - will be permitted to compete against conference opponents only this fall in accordance with campus, state, and NCAA health directives, as well as the MIAC's Return-to-Athletics Plan. The Presidents' Council continues to support institutional autonomy regarding the decision to participate in intercollegiate athletics this fall.
"Our number one priority is the health and safety of students and staff," said Paul Pribbenow, Chair of the MIAC Presidents' Council and Augsburg University President. "The decision to postpone competition for many of our fall sports was very difficult, as we know how much our student-athletes want to compete and how important athletics are to each of our campuses, but we need to put ourselves in a position to return to play as safely as possible."
With guidance from the NCAA and Minnesota Department of Health, the MIAC has spent several months developing a return-to-athletics plan to outline the guidelines, best practices, and circumstances necessary for MIAC sports to resume while prioritizing the health and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and campus communities.
"We are supportive of the decision made by the MIAC Presidents to postpone fall sports until the spring," said St. Olaf Athletic Director Ryan Bowles. "The health and safety of our community is our priority and decisions like this are never easy though sometimes necessary. I am hopeful that our fall student-athletes will still have a meaningful experience competing this spring and I am happy that our student-athletes, in particular our seniors, will have another opportunity to play the sports they love."
Training, practice, and other athletically-related activities for all teams will be permitted in accordance with NCAA Division III rules and campus, state, and NCAA health directives.
With new information and guidelines being shared by the NCAA and public health officials regularly, the MIAC will continue to evaluate options for the upcoming winter season and beyond, providing appropriate updates as they become available.
The MIAC has created a COVID-19 resources page that includes news updates and information from the MIAC, NCAA, MDH, and CDC, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions page with information specific to the conference's decision to postpone the fall competition season for high-risk sports.
St. Olaf COVID-19 Information/Resources | MIAC COVID-19 Resources | MIAC COVID-19 Response FAQ |
