While sports organizations at every level try to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, several took the time to provide an update on the 2020 Fall season earlier today.
CHSAA announcing their intentions to allow sports to continue in a "modified" fashion, once they received approval from Colorado's state officials.
A rush for answers when the current situation is fluctuating and state decisions are becoming more restrictive, could land our state with a Governor’s no contact order for football, wrestling, soccer and basketball like New Mexico. The state timeline/our timeline. #update
— Rhonda BlanfordGreen (@RhondaCHSAA) July 17, 2020
"Our office supports and respects the time taken at the state level to evaluate our proposed options for resuming athletics and activities for the 2020-2021 school year. Their timeline is our timeline, and we will be ready to play, with planned modifications, once approved."
At the collegiate level, one major organization decided to push back their decision while another decided to cancel their seasons.
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), which features the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and CSU-Pueblo, has decided to "defer" their "Return to Play" plan until they receive guidelines from the NCAA on putting protocols in place for a safe turn to sports.
RMAC update regarding Fall return to play. #EverythingElevated pic.twitter.com/yuPYtQoaFD
— RMAC Sports (@RMAC_SPORTS) July 17, 2020
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) decided the time was now to make a decision on intercollegiate sports and will not allow NCAA competition.
Per release: The @SCAC_Sports has announced fall sports will not occur in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For @CCTigers that includes men’s soccer, volleyball, XC & tennis. @KOAA pic.twitter.com/YDjMQJpJQa
— Dylan Scott (@DylanScottTV) July 16, 2020
Therefore, Colorado College will not compete in the following Division III sports for the fall of 2020; men’s soccer, volleyball, cross country, and tennis (non-traditional fall season). Women's soccer, which competes in the Mountain West, has not announced their status for this upcoming year.
“My heart aches for all the student-athletes and coaches out there affected by this,” CC Vice President and Director of Athletics Lesley Irvine said. “While the decision was incredibly difficult, it became clear as we worked with our conference colleagues and evaluated all the factors. We remain deeply committed this year to provide meaningful experiences to our fall sport student-athletes.”
Decisions related to winter and spring sports competition will be made at a later date.
