HADLEY, Mass. — The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) presidents announced Friday that conference competition for fall sports in canceled citing public health guidance amid the coronavirus pandemic. NESCAC is composed of 11 institutions in New England, including three in Maine.
NESCAC says presidents from conference schools made the decision to cancel fall sports unanimously, "though with great reluctance."
"Athletics remains an important part of the experience for our students," NESCAC said in the announcement. "Conference members will continue to work together to seek creative ways to provide meaningful athletic opportunities for our students during the upcoming academic year."
NESCAC includes: Amherst College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Connecticut College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Tufts University, Wesleyan University, and Williams College.
Williams College and Bowdoin College independently decided to cancel their fall sports seasons in June.
Fall sports for NESCAC include men's and women's golf, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, volleyball, and football.
NESCAC says school presidents have agreed to modify some NESCAC rules to enable coaches and students to engage in practice and training opportunities outside the traditional season, in accordance with the rules of each member institution and local health directives.
The conference was one of the first in the country to cancel its 2020 spring sports season, making the decision in early March.
Other conferences have opted for conference-only play rather than canceling altogether. On Thursday, the Big Ten Conference announced it would be taking that path this fall.
"By limiting competition to other Big Ten institutions, the Conference will have the greatest flexibility to adjust its own operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic."
NESCAC presidents said, "As the pandemic evolves, we will continue to monitor changing federal, state, and local guidance, and we will consult with each other as well as public health authorities and the NCAA about the possibility of further changes to NESCAC rules."
