PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan)- The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, featuring 17 PA member schools, announced Tuesday it would be canceling all fall sports for the 2020 season. The conference did not eliminate the possibility of moving the seasons to the spring, however.
"Probably early in June we started really getting into the nitty gritty of the medical side of things so our strength and conditioning and our athletic trainers, sports medicine groups were making recommendations and policies. I felt pretty good that we were going to be able to manage some things well into June to tell you the truth.
But about three weeks ago, when we finally got to the point where we were talking about policies relative to how we were going to test or require testing if possible, and then deal with symptomatic or positive tested athletes and their teams, that's when it kind of flashed to my eyes. I don't know that we can honestly manage this and give these kids a fair crack at a season under the current situation."
Murray then took it a step further while providing insight into what the NCAA will be requiring of schools and conferences in order to make a season work, saying that the fall sports season may not be something that most schools can make a reality.
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"One of the things that will be coming out today, the NCAA is going to come out with a new set of guidelines that are pretty restrictive. Up to this point, they've been more on the guidance side of things. Now they're saying, 'Ok, this is what you need to do and have to do.'
They're going to be pretty tough. Maybe only some Power 5's (conferences) are going to be able to probably manage the level of testing that's going to be needed going forward for the fall."
You can hear the entire conversation with PSAC commissioner Steve Murray on The Fan Morning Show, including his thoughts on resources needed to play for even Division I schools as well as the possibility of moving these sports to the spring season, below.