MIAC Postpones Competition Until Jan.
MOORHEAD, MINN. (8/31/20)---The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference office announced that all athletic competition has been postponed until January of 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This latest decision includes all winter sports as well as golf and tennis which were not included in the initial postponement of all medium and high contact fall sports that came out on July 28. The golf and tennis seasons will be pushed back to the second halves of their split-season schedules, while the basketball, hockey, indoor track and field, and swimming and diving competition seasons are now planning to begin in January. The MIAC Golf Championships, previously set for October, will be rescheduled for Spring 2021. All MIAC teams will maintain the institutional autonomy to practice, train, and conduct other athletic-related activities throughout the academic year in accordance with NCAA and campus protocols.
The delay in competition will grant institutions, staff, and students additional time to adjust to new safety protocols on campus in the COVID-19 era while also allowing for continued testing and treatment developments, which remain a key factor for the return of athletics across the nation.
MIAC winter-sport coaches have begun work on building a framework and schedules for a compressed conference season beginning in January 2021. The MIAC will release schedules for all postponed seasons in the coming months.
In addition to the decision on competition, the MIAC also approved legislation for a five-year eligibility relief package to match NCAA Eligibility Bylaws and accept all NCAA blanket waivers, allowing student-athletes impacted by COVID-19 to plan their academic paths with maximum flexibility. The legislation is effective immediately and will be in place through the 2024-25 academic year. The conference granted a similar exception for graduating seniors impacted by COVID-19 this past spring.