MANSFIELD, Mass. — Another domino falls in college sports, as the Northeastern-10 canceled all conference sponsored competitions and championships through December 31. The announcement was made late Thursday night.
The Division II conference said the decision was made by the Council of Presidents of the NE-10 and was voted unanimously on the suspension. The presidents cited the health and safety of its student-athletes, coaches, staff, and wider campus communities as the main reason.
Connecticut has two universities in the NE-10: the University of New Haven and Southern Connecticut State University.
The conference did say in a statement that they are working to have the fall sports compete in the spring of 2021. However, this can only happen if it is safe to return to competition.
As for practices, the conference says this will be determined by each institution and will still follow NCAA policies along with state public health regulations.
The Council of Presidents released a joint statement on the decision through the conference's website:
"The Northeast-10 Conference Council of Presidents is united in its commitment to supporting local and state efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. Campus resocialization guidelines – including restrictions on student and staff travel, social distancing requirements and limits on group gatherings, are being undertaken so that campuses can support in-person engagement and education. Aiding our member campuses in their reopening efforts is critical and while athletics is an integral part of campus life, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our NE10 community, including our student-athletes, staff and our towns and cities. As such, we have made the difficult decision that intercollegiate athletics competition has been suspended through the end of the 2020 fall semester. We are committed to exploring alternate playing seasons for our fall sports during the 2020-21 academic year, if it is deemed safe. We do not take this decision lightly and understand its impact. Our campus communities will do everything we can to support the well-being of our student-athletes this fall as we navigate these uncertain times together."
