PAC Details Initial Plans for Return to Sport
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) has announced preliminary spring scheduling models and postseason championship opportunities for four of the league's fall championship sports that had their intercollegiate athletic competition postponed in August in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Included are the NCAA-defined "high contact risk" sports of football, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball. The spring schedules will feature conference-only competition and provide student-athletes with the option of extending their participation by completing only 50 percent or less of the sport's maximum contests or dates of competition.
On July 9, the NCAA Division III Administrative Committee approved a recommendation from the Division III Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement to provide a blanket season-of-participation waiver in all sports that are unable to reach the 50 percent threshold, ensuring student-athletes have four meaningful seasons of participation opportunities.
The PAC, in consultation with the previously established conference-wide working groups (Health and Safety, Scheduling and Financial Considerations), sport-specific coaching groups and the PAC Athletic Administrators Council, continues to review modified spring schedules for the NCAA-defined "medium contact risk" sports of men's and women's cross country and NCAA-defined "low contact risk" sports of men's and women's golf and men's and women's tennis. These sports have traditionally included a fall championship component or opportunities for intercollegiate competition throughout the fall.
On July 24, the PAC Presidents' Council announced that the NCAA-defined "high contact risk" winter championship sports of men's and women's basketball and wrestling, along with the NCAA-defined "low contact risk" winter championship sports of men's and women's swimming and diving and men's and women's indoor track and field, will not participate in intercollegiate competition prior to January 1, 2021. Additional information on preliminary winter sports scheduling models and postseason championship opportunities will be available at a later date.
Preliminary scheduling models for the league's sponsored spring championship sports (baseball, softball, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, men's outdoor track and field, women's outdoor track and field) are also being reviewed. Additional information on spring sports scheduling models and postseason championship opportunities will be available at a later date.
