Roseburg, Oregon. - With the 2020-2021 school year quickly approaching, and the goal to provide practice and competition in as much normalcy as possible while continuing to protect the safety of our student-athletes and slow the spread of COVID-19, the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) has released Return-to-Play Guidelines for the 2020-2021 academic year.
On Tuesday, the NWAC Executive Board approved a plan to move the majority of fall sports to winter and spring quarters. After much discussion with member college presidents and the NWAC Sports Medicine Committee, the NWAC Executive Board decided it was time for a decision.
The NWAC office in partnership with the NWAC Sports Medicine Committee has provided a comprehensive plan of health and safety protocol recommendations for member colleges to implement for practice, competition and championships events. Each institution is to follow state, local, NWAC, and institutional guidelines as they relate to bringing back to student-athletes to campus, as well as the health and safety of all participants.
Men's and Women's Cross Country and Men's and Women's Golf will commence in the fall on a reduced and modified schedule. All other NWAC sports will begin competition in winter and spring quarters of 2021 with reduced schedules as well. For more information on the Sports Calendar view: 2020-2021 Sports Calendar.
According to NWAC Executive Director, Marco Azurdia, "We have been thoughtful, comprehensive, flexible, and listened to our constituents. It is time to move forward. The plan pushed the conversations with our member college administrators thus leading to the Executive Board's decision. We have said from the beginning that flexibility, creativity, adaptability, and patience are essential to the success of our return to play. NWAC will continue to follow the guidance and direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local and state health agencies, and member college presidents. Should conditions dictate a change from these guidelines, we have contingencies in place that will help us address NWAC sports. As additional information becomes available we will look to update our plans and strategies."
For more information on the NWAC Return-to-Play Guidelines and/or the NWAC Health and Safety protocols please visit the NWAC website at https://nwacsports.com/COVID19 or https://nwacsports.com/SportsMedicine.
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