CALDWELL, Idaho – The NAIA announced its plans for sports to return this fall and is targeting September for a return to competition, according to a letter signed Thursday by NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr and NAIA Council of Presidents chairperson Arvid Johnson.
Under the plan, all fall sports sponsored by the Cascade Conference – men's/women's soccer, men's/women's golf, m/w cross-country, volleyball – would be allowed to hold competitions starting Sept. 5. Football, which is sponsored by the Frontier Conference, will begin play Sept. 12.
This change will affect the current fall schedules for all College of Idaho teams – as a total of 17 events (four men's soccer games, four women's soccer games, eight volleyball games and the football opener at Rocky Mountain) will either be rescheduled or canceled due to the new NAIA protocol.
"We are appreciative of the NAIA's decision in regards to the upcoming fall athletic season," said C of I athletic director,
Reagan Rossi. "This allows the College, along with both the Cascade and Frontier Conferences nearly three full months to plan for a safe and healthy return for our student-athletes this fall."
The practice start date for all sports will be Aug. 15, though conditioning activities and workouts that don't fall under the NAIA's definition of "practice" may begin before then in accordance with local and state guidelines. The plan will require football teams to practice for at least four weeks and all others for at least three before contests can begin.
The return-to-play dates are contingent on a threshold system, however, that was approved by the Council of Presidents Executive Committee. As stated in the letter, "the threshold goal is for about half the participating institutions in each sport to receive clearance from local authorities to return to competition before the season can begin."
The delayed starts and institutions' desires to limit expenses will also mean reductions in the number of maximum regular-season contests allowed per sport: seven meets for cross country (down from eight), nine games for football (down from 11), 14 games for soccer (down from 18), and 22 dates for volleyball (down from 28).
"The rationale behind the selection of these dates is to provide an adequate acclimatization, conditioning and practice period prior to competition for each sport, while minimizing the need for student-athletes to return to campus early," the letter states. "Establishing start dates also creates a more level playing field for all institutions that are able to compete this fall."
For now, the NAIA intends to hold all fall national championships as currently scheduled.
The national office and COP Executive Committee are continuing to explore options for health and safety protocols, including testing and screening, and will announce related decisions as they are made. The committee will be meeting weekly throughout the month.
"Obviously we cannot predict what will happen in the next six months, but we are optimistic that the championships will be hosted as planned," the letter says.
Both the CCC and the Frontier Conference will work in the coming weeks to determine potential changes to the 2020 schedules – with those changes to be posted at YoteAthletics.com once finalized.
