[ad_1]
General | 09/11/2020 17:00:00
ROCHESTER, NY – Due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rochester Institute of Technology has canceled all winter sports competitions for the 2020-2021 season.
The teams involved include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, track and field and indoor wrestling for men and women.
“It was a very difficult decision and we understand the disappointment it brings to our student-athletes and coaches,” said RIT President David Munson. “But given the rise of COVID-19 in our community, as well as the country and the world, it is the right thing to do for the athletes and the safety of the community. We remain committed to providing RIT Tigers the highest level academic experience … as a safe environment where they can continue to grow as individuals and as teams. “
RIT’s men’s and women’s ice hockey teams play at the Division I level, with the men playing in the Atlantic Hockey Association and the women playing in College Hockey America. While these conferences are still scheduled, RIT executives felt the hurdles were too great to play during a global pandemic.
“Campus leaders meet regularly to discuss the possibility of safely conducting winter sports competitions under detailed guidelines from the NCAA, New York State, Department of Health and university aimed at keeping our community safe, ”said Lou Spiotti, RIT Executive Director, Athletics Jr.“ Despite our efforts, the virus continues to spread throughout the region and we could not justify a competitive season for none of our teams. “
“We feel for all the dedicated student-athletes, coaches and the entire inter-varsity athletics department,” said Sandra Johnson, RIT Senior Vice President of Student Affairs. “They have trained well and prepared for the competition. In the future, we will continue to work together to provide meaningful opportunities and support our student-athletes.”
Following a vote by the Presidents Council, the Liberty League also issued a statement announcing that all winter conference competitions and championships have been canceled. The Liberty League is the eighth Division III conference in the country to cancel all winter sports operations, including the State University of New York (SUNYAC) Athletic Conference.
“The decision to cancel the competition and the Liberty League Championships was made after careful consideration and careful consideration of the relevant facts and data,” said Liberty League Commissioner Tracy King. “COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise across the country and we have also seen spikes in our university communities, which create additional challenges for our institutions. We understand the deep sense of disappointment felt by our student-athletes who have trained and prepared for competition and we understand and share their disappointment. “
The NCAA recently approved a blanket waiver allowing all student-athletes from all divisions to retain their year of eligibility for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Together with the Liberty League, an appropriate course of action for spring sports is to be determined in the coming months. Stay tuned to ritathletics.com and @RITAthletics on Twitter for the latest information.
[ad_2]
Source link