CHARLOTTE — The Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference have suspended fall 2020 sports and championship events due to the coronavirus pandemic.
[Coronavirus: Ivy League cancels fall sports schedule]
The leagues announced the move Thursday and issued a joint statement, saying that “the welfare of our student-athletes is sacrosanct and must preempt all other considerations when evaluating any return to competition efforts.”
In its release, the CIAA said it would explore a possible modified competition schedule for football, volleyball and cross country for the spring. There is no time frame for making that decision.
The league, based in Charlotte, said it would discuss plans for winter and spring sports.
CIAA Suspends NCAA Competition for Fall 2020 https://t.co/2mJU5nUxMk
— CIAA (@CIAAForLife) July 9, 2020
Johnson C. Smith University statement:
“The health and safety of all students is the top priority of Johnson C. Smith University. We support the CIAA’s decision to delay fall 2020 sports due to rise of COVID-19 cases in the geographic area of our institutions. We realize some of our student-athletes, coaches and fans may be disappointed by the decision. However, we believe it is the right thing to do during this pandemic to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of student-athletes, coaches, the athletics staffs and fans.
“JCSU is committed to the intellectual, cultural and social development of our students. Student-athletes are also scholars, and we take just as much pride in their academic and co-curricular accomplishments as we do their achievements in sports competitions. We will fulfill our promise to fall sports student-athletes and honor their scholarships. We look forward to their continued contributions in the classroom and as campus leaders.”
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