NEAC Presidents’ Council Statement on Spring Sports Competition
LATHAM, N.Y. - The North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Presidents' Council announced its intent to move forward with a formal return to competition for spring sports in 2021. The athletic programs resuming play will include men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, baseball, softball and men's golf.
"Our student-athletes have sacrificed a significant piece of their Division III experience over the last year to help protect our campuses and greater communities," said NEAC Presidents' Council Chair and Pennsylvania College of Technology President Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour. "We look forward to having our athletic programs competing again in the near future and will count on them to serve as leaders to illustrate how to participate in campus activities in a safe and responsible manner."
Consistent with all decisions at the conference level, the safety and well-being of student-athletes remains the primary goal of the NEAC. All plans remain contingent upon federal, state and local health guidelines and the status of all contests will be subject to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. NEAC institutions will be expected to adhere to the league's Return to Competition protocols, which closely align with the NCAA recommendations outlined in the Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition, Second Edition.
"We have long awaited the return of NEAC play and we could not be more excited for our student-athletes and coaches to return to competition," said NEAC Commissioner Stephanie Dutton. "We appreciate the commitment of the NEAC Presidents' Council and the work of our campus administrators to make today's announcement possible. We will need continued vigilance and accountability from all those involved with our athletic programs to have a successful spring season, but I am confident the NEAC will rise to this challenge."
Conference schedules for spring sports will be released in the upcoming week. These schedules will be subject to change with the possibility of pauses due to COVID-19 as well as inclement weather.
Finally, the Presidents' Council will not allow spectators as the spring season commences due to restrictions that remain in place on a number of member campuses regarding outside visitors. As the season progresses, the NEAC Presidents' Council will continue to meet monthly and reserves the right to amend the spectator policy if there are changes to current campus restrictions.
