The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Council of Presidents voted today to suspend all sports competitions through the end of 2020. This suspension of competition applies to all sports, including “winter” sports like basketball and swimming. The move mirrors that of the Pac-12, which was announced yesterday. The press release from GLIAC makes clear that student athletes will still be allowed to practice and train, so long as they are adhering to all guidelines, including NCAA, institutional, state, and local guidelines.
According to GLIAC Commissioner Kris Dunbar, “After thoroughly reviewing federal, state, and NCAA SSI (Sport Science Institute) and Board of Governor’s guidelines, it became apparent that conducting contests and championships this fall was insurmountable.” He went on to express “frustration and sadness” for the effected athletes, coaches, families, and fans.
GLIAC is host to some of the top-tier NCAA DII athletics programs. Six swimming and diving programs will be affected by this move, including Grand Valley State, Wayne State, Northern Michigan, St. Cloud State, Ashland, and Saginaw Valley State University. Of those 6 teams, nearly all scored at the 2019 DII NCAA Championships;
- Wayne State: men-4th, women-8th
- Grand Valley: men-5th, women-11th
- Northern Michigan: men-18th, women-14th
- St. Cloud State: men-26th, women-20th
- Saginaw Valley: women-44th
This announcement from GLIAC comes just one week after the NCAA announced all championships for DII and DIII fall sports have been canceled. As things stand currently, as a Winter sport, DII swimming & diving could still potentially have an NCAA championship this season.
BREAKING: GLIAC Council of Presidents Votes to Suspend all Sports Competition Through end of Calendar Year
🔗https://t.co/Txbp79WYR8 pic.twitter.com/ltCLBJxr43
— GLIAC (@GLIACsports) August 12, 2020
Here is the link to the full GLIAC press release.
As a swim team member of this conference, I think it is unfair to cancel all competition without even consulting any student athletes in the process. We want to compete not sit out!!!
i wonder if this will be what other conferences will do. whats the consensus on swim season from fellow readers?
I think it will become the norm in D2 and D3.
It seems like some portion of D1 is holding out hope. One thing that I’m confident in for D1: whatever the plan is on August 21 (the NCAA deadline to cancel fall championships), it probably won’t be the final plan we see. I think that the dial is going to keep moving and reacting based on both the national mood and the data.
It helps that swimming is tied in with basketball. Not a chance the NCAA will go 2 straight years without the basketball tournament.
If Covid is still going strong I bet it gets canceled again.
Emmert came out today and said their priority is preserving Winter and Spring championships due to losing them last season.
And we’re going to have to define “going strong” eventually….