The Gulf South Conference announced the postponement of the 2020-21 fall sports season, including regular-season contests and GSC Championships and Tournaments, due to ongoing health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The GSC Board of Directors and conference athletics directors have been diligent in their evaluation into the efficacy of conducting intercollegiate athletics in fall 2020,” said Christian Brothers University Director of Athletics Brian Summers. “The decision to postpone fall sports competitions was made after exhausting all feasible options to conduct competitions safely for our students, coaches and athletics staff.”
The full GSC statement is detailed below:
The Gulf South Conference will postpone competition in basketball, football, soccer, and volleyball until at least January 1.
These sports are identified as high contact risk sports by the NCAA and are subject to significant testing requirements for all student-athletes and “inner bubble” personnel.
Three significant factors helped the conference Board of Directors in determining this course of action:
- Health and safety of student-athletes and campus communities;
- Mandated participation protocols from the NCAA Board of Governors, most notably the requirements related to Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition;
- NCAA Division II Fall Championships cancellation.
Cross Country and Golf competition will be permitted during the fall semester with the GSC Cross Country Championship date potentially moved to better accommodate the calendar. Designated as low contact risk and medium contact risk, these sports feature more manageable testing and monitoring requirements per NCAA medical guidance as well as limited competition opportunities.
All practice, strength and conditioning, team meetings, and other countable athletic related activities (CARA) shall be subject to NCAA rules, NCAA health and safety requirements, and institutional discretion.
In the sports of football, soccer, and volleyball, the conference will evaluate options for spring competition that provide meaningful competition for these student-athletes. A spring season may not feature the use of traditional formats for regular season play or tournaments.
In the sport of basketball, the GSC will work over the next several weeks to outline a calendar for this year’s basketball schedule and tournament. Further, the conference will work through the NCAA governance process to advocate for additional weeks of competition in the spring semester.
There is no change in spring sport competition at this time.