AMCC Announces Changes to Spring 2021 Semester
The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference is planning for the spring semester while monitoring developments across the country and within our regional footprint with regard to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. We continue to prioritize the health and safety of our student-athletes as well as our campus communities in our decision making.
The Presidents Council has agreed to the following actions regarding the conduct of conference competition in the spring 2021 semester:
Spring Sports: AMCC members will place the highest priority on plans to move forward with the safe conduct of a regular season schedule and conference championship for sports with a spring NCAA championship. Those sports include men's volleyball, softball, baseball, men's and women's tennis, and men's golf.
Winter Sports: There will be no scheduled conference competition in men's and women's basketball, and the conference will forego its automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in 2021. Members will be permitted to conduct independent schedules. The conference schedule for bowling, scheduled to commence February 20, and the tentative championship dates of March 31-April 3 for men's and women's swimming and diving, remain under consideration. Conference plans for bowling and swimming/diving will be revisited in mid-January.
Fall Sports: Member institutions shall have the autonomy to conduct spring seasons in men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball. The conference will sponsor a championship meet for men's and women's cross country on March 28 with the caveat that a minimum of four programs must opt in to participate.
Conference members agree to abide by NCAA guidelines regarding the safe conduct of all sports during the pandemic. Future actions of the Presidents Council will continue to be informed by science and established guidance from state and local governments and departments of health.
Director of Athletics Jason Doviak outlined the Alfred State's plans. "We are continuing to monitor data from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as we develop our return to play plans for the spring semester in consultation with our health experts. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all student-athletes, coaches, staff, and campus community. With the recent announcement that the AMCC will not compete in conference play for our fall and winter sports, we are planning to schedule competitions with other colleges and universities who are planning to compete this semester. Our goal is to provide our student-athletes with opportunities to safely practice and compete this spring by following the NCAA return to play guidelines and continuing our surveillance testing on campus."
