By Anthony Covino
Sports Editor
The NEC announced that fall sports will be delayed until Sept. 10 with the appropriate protocols set in place.
The NEC has decided to delay the season for approximately two weeks rather than cancelling the whole season, like Princeton and other Ivy League schools have elected to do.
“With so many unknown factors at this point in time, the NEC has elected to delay the start of competition and take advantage of extra time to continue to evaluate the local, regional, and national landscape relative to COVID-19. The Presidents will reconvene in a few weeks to chart the course moving forward,” NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris said.
The NEC had set principles for planning the resumption of sports:
- The health and safety of the campus and conference community is priority
- Decision-making will be guided by NCAA, campus, state and national policies
- Individual athletics departments must adhere to their respective campus protocols
The current plan for the return of Fall Sports:
- Conference and non-conference competition will be allowed to start Sept. 10
- Football programs are permitted to play non-conference games prior to Sept. 10 at each institutions’ discretion
- Associate members will defer to full member conference regulations
- NEC institutions must confirm whether non-conference opponents have instituted similar health and safety protocols prior to competing
- Overnight travel will be reduced if possible
“With the health and safety of our campus and athletic communities at the forefront, the NEC Presidents are utilizing a set of guiding principles to assist in their decision making around the resumption of sports this fall,” Morris said.
The NEC COVID-19 Medical Advisory Committee, composed of campus medical professionals and administrators, will continue to develop further policies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 when games resume.
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