PAC Update on Winter Sports Planning
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) has announced its tentative plan for a return to intercollegiate athletic competition during the Spring 2021 semester.
The PAC Presidents' Council, in consultation with the conference-wide working groups (Health and Safety, Scheduling and Financial Considerations), the PAC Athletic Administrators' Council and sport-specific coaching groups, continues its ongoing review and planning for a return to competition in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
"We are planning for winter and spring intercollegiate athletic competition, including resumption of postponed fall sports. Across the conference, our teams have been training and preparing safely with COVID-19 measures in place through the fall," said Dr. Calvin Troup, president of Geneva College and chair of the PAC Presidents' Council. "With conference COVID-19 protocols in place and the benefits of schools in close proximity for travel, we trust that our PAC student-athletes who have invested so much and exercised such patience and perseverance will finally be able return to competition."
Spring 2021 competition in the sports of men's and women's basketball and men's and women's and women's swimming and diving is scheduled to commence no earlier than Saturday, January 23. The modified scheduling models and postseason championship opportunities will be announced at a later date, and will be subject to further revision as circumstances require.
The PAC Presidents' Council also affirmed a recommendation of the PAC Athletic Administrators' Council to cancel the league's indoor track and field championships, which were tentatively scheduled for the end of February. The PAC Presidents' Council endorsed member schools sponsoring men's and women's indoor track and field to pursue opportunities for non-conference competition consistent with local, state and federal public health authorities, the NCAA Sport Science Institute (SSI) and institutional policies and guidelines.
Discussions related to men's wrestling are ongoing with details to be announced at a later date.
Additionally, the league intends to support modified scheduling models and championship opportunities for the sports of men's and women's cross country during the months of February and March.
Along with the leadership of its member institutions, the PAC will continue monitoring the evolving situation related to COVID-19. PAC administrators are committed to meeting at regular intervals throughout the remainder of November and December to determine best practices and protocols for maintaining a safe and healthy environment as teams and student-athletes arrive back on PAC campuses in 2021.
Due to the extraordinary disruptions related to COVID-19, the PAC and the PAC Presidents' Council understand that plans for returning to competition are subject to change at any time based on available public health best practices and approaches or local, state and federal guidelines, recommendations or mandates.
