More Leagues Cancel Fall Sports Seasons

You can now add the Patriot League and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) to the Ivy League as collegiate conferences to postpone its fall sports season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Patriot League announcement — which doesn’t include basketball and other winter sports playing in the fall — comes with an interesting asterisk, pointed out by the Philadelphia Inquirer. It noted that “because the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy are unique in their environments and their missions within higher education, the Council of Presidents agree that the academies may continue to engage in competitive opportunities as considered appropriate by their respective Superintendents.”

Nevertheless, the annual Army-Navy football game, set to take place on December 12 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, is not affected by the announcement where both Army and Navy don’t participate in the Patriot League for football, the Inquirer said.

“The opportunity for conditioning, strength training, and other practice opportunities in all sports will be permitted provided health and safety conditions support such activities,‘’ said the Patriot League statement.

The CACC said it hopes to have “meaningful seasons” in the spring for its fall semester sports, but there will be no competitions before Jan. 1.

“This decision was not made lightly,” CACC commissioner Dan Mara said in a statement about his league’s decision. “Our presidents and athletic directors have had extensive conversations about what is the best plan of action for the safety and welfare of student-athletes, coaches, and staff. A decision regarding how student-athletes can practice and prepare with their coaches during the fall semester is forthcoming.”

Additionally, the National Junior College Athletic Association recently announced that it will be shifting “all close-contact fall sports to the spring semester,” according to the Inquirer. Included in the decision are football, men’s and women’s soccer, and court volleyball.

» ALSO SEE: Ivy League, Big 10 Make Headlines with Big Decisions

The Patriot League, an NCAA Division I conference, consists of American University, Army, Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette College, Lehigh, Loyola-Maryland, and Navy. Associate member schools include Fordham, Georgetown, MIT, and the University of Richmond.

The CACC, an NCAA Division II conference, consists of Bloomfield College, Caldwell University, Chesnut Hill College, Concordia College, Dominican College, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family, Nyack College, Post University, University of the Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, and Wilmington University.

To read the full story from the Philadelphia Inquirer on the Patriot League and the CACC canceling the fall sports season, click here.