PSAC cancels all fall sports, plans move to spring
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, of which California University is a member, announced Wednesday morning it is suspending all athletic competitions through the fall semester with plans to move them to the spring semester.
“The entire conference has worked hard these last few months to prepare for the return of sports to our campuses beginning this fall,” PSAC commissioner Steve Murray said. “However, it has become apparent that the safe conduct of sports under the guidelines of social distancing is untenable for our members. We cannot place our student-athletes at greater risk than the general student body. Despite our planning and collective efforts, it has become clear that we are not able to do so.”
The PSAC board of directors met Tuesday evening in Lock Haven and voted to suspend all conference athletic events and championships through the fall semester. Those fall sports include football, men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.
The PSAC has reviewed its ability to shift all fall sports competitions and championships to the spring semester and plans to do so, if a return to play can be safely executed. However, if the NCAA does not shift falls sports at the Division II level to the spring, the PSAC programs will not be eligible for national championship competition in those sports.
“We are committed to giving our student-athletes the chance to compete during this academic year,” said California president Geraldine Jones, who is the chairwoman of the PSAC board of directors. “Many institutions and conferences are facing the same circumstances as we are, and if it is safe to return to competition, we will work with them and the NCAA to provide our teams with a championship experience during the spring semester. We know this is a huge disappointment for our student-athletes who work so very hard in their sport. This decision was not taken lightly and we feel saddened by having to do so.”
The PSAC and its member institutions will allow fall sports teams to conduct skill development practices during the semester.
“The plan from the PSAC is to move all fall sports to the spring,” said California athletic director Dr. Karen Hjerpe. “We’ve outlined some tentative plans for those sports. Our plan for all sports to have practices in the fall. The presidents want our student-athletes to get the necessary instruction and skill development.”
Winter sports that traditionally begin late in the first semester, such as basketball and wrestling, also are impacted by the PSAC’s decision. They cannot begin competition until Jan. 1 at the earliest.
“Everything, from a competition standpoint, is suspended through Dec. 31,” Hjerpe said. “After that, we can draw up schedules and begin winter seasons.”
With 18 members, the PSAC is the largest conference in NCAA Division II. In addition to California, the PSAC includes 12 other State System universities at Bloomsburg, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester; plus Gannon, Mercyhurst, Pitt-Johnstown and Seton Hill universities as well as its newest member, Shepherd University in West Virginia.
The Big Ten Conference announced earlier this month its members will be playing conference-games-only schedules in fall sports. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 are taking a wait-and-see-approach about fall sports, though the ACC did push back its start date for its teams to Sept. 1.
The Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference, which includes Washington & Jefferson and Waynesburg as members, announced it will have conference-only competitions this fall.