GRINNELL, Iowa — The Midwest Conference said today that it is moving forward with plans to host intercollegiate athletic competition for the fall 2020 season barring changes in infection rates in the Midwest. The 99-year old conference also announced that it is working with member institutions to identify a common set of criteria for the screening and monitoring of COVID-19 in order to ensure the safety of all student-athletes and college communities. The message followed a meeting of the conference’s presidents and a series of recommendations from the athletic directors of the member institutions.
“The health and safety of the members of our campus communities is the most important factor in our decision-making process going forward,” said Heather Benning, the Executive Director of the Midwest Conference. “While the situtation reamins fluid and the decision to compete will untimately be made by each individual institution, the consensus in the league right now is that we will provide a venue for fall sport competition.”
In light of the public health situtation and the four-state geographic footprint of the league, the Conference will split into regional divisions that will minimize travel distances and limit the need for overnight stays.
A conference-wide working group of athletic directors, administrators, faculty, athletic trainers are working throughout the summer to develop uniform health and safety guidelines for the upcoming fall season regarding testing, screening and agreed upon criteria for competition. Best practices from the NCAA Sports Science Institute (SSI), National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), American College Health Association (ACHA), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local and state health guidelines will be followed. It is expected that there will be additional sport-by-sport guidance for both returning-to-play and in-season protocols.
Further announcements regarding Midwest Conference athletics for 2020-21 will be released in the weeks ahead. Updates throughout the summer related to COVID-19 decisions can be found on the Midwest Conference website.
**Report courtesy of midwestconference.org**
