Buffalo, NY (WBEN) There will be no fall sports played at Canisius or Niagara. Their conference, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, has canceled the fall season.
MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor notes that, "The fall sports impacted by the Council's decision include men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, and men's and women's cross country and sports that conduct non-traditional season segments in the fall. The MAAC Executive Committee will explore with the Committee on Athletic Administration (COAA) the goal of providing the student-athletes with a schedule of contests among conference members in the spring of 2021 in accordance with each institution's procedures and applicable state regulations. It is the goal of the MAAC to ensure it recognizes a MAAC champion in each sport and it will review possible championship formats for the fall sports in accordance with evolving state and local regulations."
A decision on whether fall sport competition would be feasible in the spring will be determined by the presidents at a later date. The conference adds athletically related activities and training opportunities for enrolled student-athletes will be structured in accordance with each institution's procedures and applicable state regulations.
"The decision to cancel fall sports was made with student-athletes being top of mind," adds Ensor. "It is difficult to put into words how I feel for all of the student athletes, coaches, and administrators who put in so much work on a daily basis. Health and safety protocols have been of the utmost priority the last several months, but unfortunately, there are too many factors that prohibit the MAAC and its institutions from safely delivering a competitive atmosphere that these individuals deserve."
"While this decision is disappointing for our student-athletes, coaches and staff, I understand the challenges we face and fully support the decision of the Council," Canisius Director of Athletics Bill Maher said. "The health and safety of our campus communities are the overriding factor for the Council of Presidents and their decisions are always made with that in mind. We must now pivot and work to provide training development opportunities for all of our student-athletes as they return to campus in the next few weeks. The MAAC will engage in a full review of competition models for these affected sports in the spring to determine how we can provide a revised competition schedule for our student-athletes. The goal is to find a path forward to award these championships in the spring of 2021."
The MAAC Council of Presidents says MAAC student-athletes whose seasons have been cancelled will still be permitted to train when they return to campus. Institutions will be responsible for implementing their own training guidelines in accordance with state and local COVID-19 regulations and guidance provided by the NCAA in its Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition including testing protocols.
