Patriot League Announces Decisions Surrounding Fall Sport Season
7/13/2020 11:12:00 AM | Field Hockey, Football, Athletics, Men's Cross Country, Men's Soccer, Women's Cross Country, Women's Soccer, Volleyball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Recognizing the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to present significant challenges to our campuses and communities, the Patriot League Council of Presidents announces the following decisions regarding Patriot League competition:
● Patriot League teams will not engage in competition in the fall season (championship and non-championship);
● Decisions surrounding winter and spring sport competition will be made at a later date; and,
● The opportunity for conditioning, strength training and other practice opportunities in all sports will be permitted provided health and safety conditions support such activities.
Because the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy are unique in their environments and their missions within higher education, the Council of Presidents agree that the academies may continue to engage in competitive opportunities as considered appropriate by their respective Superintendents.
The collegiate athletics experience at all Patriot League institutions is valuable to fulfilling our educational and developmental missions, and the League recognizes that any degree of non-competition this fall is deeply disappointing to our student-athletes, coaches, and fans. However, the health and safety of our campuses and communities must be our highest priority.
The League is committed to exploring creative approaches and alternatives to providing future competitive experiences to our fall sport student-athletes, including the possibility of conducting fall sport competition and championships in the second semester.
Patriot League Council of Presidents
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, American University
Robert A. Brown, Boston University
John Bravman, Bucknell University
Philip Boroughs, S.J., College of the Holy Cross
Brian W. Casey, Colgate University
Alison R. Byerly, Lafayette College
John D. Simon, Lehigh University
Brian Linnane, S.J., Loyola University Maryland
Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, United States Military Academy
Vice Adm. Sean Buck, United States Naval Academy
Statement from Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett '76:
"I'm disappointed for our athletes, who surely are eager to compete. Yet I fully understand and support the difficult decision made by our league presidents. They properly placed the health of our communities above all else and the trends in health metrics create less optimism than we once held for being able to manage the health of our teams, especially given the travel and direct contact involved in most sports activities. We are and will remain committed to doing all we can to provide a healthy competitive opportunity for fall sport teams, perhaps in the spring."
● Patriot League teams will not engage in competition in the fall season (championship and non-championship);
● Decisions surrounding winter and spring sport competition will be made at a later date; and,
● The opportunity for conditioning, strength training and other practice opportunities in all sports will be permitted provided health and safety conditions support such activities.
Because the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy are unique in their environments and their missions within higher education, the Council of Presidents agree that the academies may continue to engage in competitive opportunities as considered appropriate by their respective Superintendents.
The collegiate athletics experience at all Patriot League institutions is valuable to fulfilling our educational and developmental missions, and the League recognizes that any degree of non-competition this fall is deeply disappointing to our student-athletes, coaches, and fans. However, the health and safety of our campuses and communities must be our highest priority.
The League is committed to exploring creative approaches and alternatives to providing future competitive experiences to our fall sport student-athletes, including the possibility of conducting fall sport competition and championships in the second semester.
Patriot League Council of Presidents
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, American University
Robert A. Brown, Boston University
John Bravman, Bucknell University
Philip Boroughs, S.J., College of the Holy Cross
Brian W. Casey, Colgate University
Alison R. Byerly, Lafayette College
John D. Simon, Lehigh University
Brian Linnane, S.J., Loyola University Maryland
Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, United States Military Academy
Vice Adm. Sean Buck, United States Naval Academy
Statement from Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett '76:
"I'm disappointed for our athletes, who surely are eager to compete. Yet I fully understand and support the difficult decision made by our league presidents. They properly placed the health of our communities above all else and the trends in health metrics create less optimism than we once held for being able to manage the health of our teams, especially given the travel and direct contact involved in most sports activities. We are and will remain committed to doing all we can to provide a healthy competitive opportunity for fall sport teams, perhaps in the spring."
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