Fall usually means the start of soccer matches, cross country meets, and women’s volleyball. However, while classes commenced, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (of which SPU is a member) ruled in July that these fall sports were on hold until winter.
With the coronavirus pandemic still disrupting many aspects of life, the GNAC board met again on Oct. 2 and formally approved moving soccer and volleyball to spring 2021, if feasible. The soccer seasons will end with conference tournaments for the women and the men at Western Washington University in Bellingham.
The NCAA will not conduct any regional or national tournaments for the fall sports.
The GNAC cancelled the Indoor Track & Field Championships because the longtime home for that meet in Nampa, Idaho, is no longer being used as a
track facility.
In the Oct. 2 meeting, the GNAC board also voted to delay the start of winter sports, including men and women’s basketball, until at least Jan. 7, 2021. No outside competitions will be allowed before that date.
“We are very proud of the work done within the GNAC to put the safety of our student-athletes at the forefront,” said SPU Athletic Director Jackson Stava. “We all remain hopeful that this winter and spring we will return to competition safely and allow our student-athletes a meaningful season of
competition.”
