PAC announces athletic scheduling changes for fall 2020 semester

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- The Presidents’ Athletic Conference Presidents Council made unanimous decisions regarding athletic competition for the fall 2020 semester during a virtual meeting held on Thursday, July 23

Decisions made included:

• Postponement of fall 2020 athletic competitions in the NCAA-defined “high-contact” and “medium contact” sports of football, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country until the spring 2021 semester, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The NCAA-defined “low contact” fall 2020 sports of women’s tennis and men’s and women’s golf will tentatively be permitted to compete with conference competition only, as previously announced, barring additional NCAA or state guidelines/restrictions. The conference will also explore logistical options for holding fall athletic competitions in other “low contact” sports such as men’s and women’s outdoor track & field and men’s tennis, which have typically held their traditional seasons in the spring in past years.
• Tentative modified spring varsity game/competition schedules in football, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country will be developed by the PAC Scheduling Working Group and released in the near future.
• In addition, the PAC Presidents’ Council also agreed to not hold any winter varsity sports competitions prior to January 1, 2021.

The decision by the PAC to postpone fall competition until the spring of 2021 was largely driven by the NCAA Sport Science Institute releasing updated health & safety/resocialization guidelines on July 16 related to COVID-19, which classified football, soccer and volleyball as “high contact” sports. The document recommends that all “high contact” sports should currently have all student-athletes tested on a weekly basis for COVID-19 when social distancing is not possible (e.g. during competitions), including within 72 hours after each football game for all student-athletes, coaches, officials and staff. As a “medium contact” sport, guidelines for cross country competition include initial testing of all student-athletes followed by maintenance testing bi-weekly throughout the season.

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