NEW LONDON, N.H. – July 20, 2020 – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) will postpone conference athletic competitions for Fall sports for the upcoming semester, according to an announcement by Commissioner Joe Walsh Monday afternoon.
 
"Over the last several months, the GNAC President's Council has met regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to plan for the 2020-21 athletic season. During the fall, each GNAC institution may plan for student-athlete training and conditioning opportunities consistent with federal and state public health recommendations, the NCAA, and institutional guidelines."
 
"The GNAC President's Council has not yet decided on the status of winter sports. All options will be thoroughly evaluated to make a decision as quickly as possible, informed by federal and state health and safety guidelines."

Colby-Sawyer Athletics Response:
NCAA Division III athletics at Colby-Sawyer is, and will continue to be, an integral part of the student and campus experience. We remain committed to this experience and take it seriously.
 
Our first priority is the safe and healthy return of all students to in-person instruction and an on-campus experience this fall. For that reason, our athletics season will look different this fall, with our teams not taking part in competition for at least the first semester. This includes men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, equestrian, field hockey, women's rugby and women's volleyball.
 
Given the continued prevalence of COVID-19, we did not see a path forward that ensured the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, fans and friends. The risks associated with exposing our own student-athletes and visiting competitors to environments we could not reasonably ensure were safe from the potential spread of the virus were too much to accept.
 
We are committed to exploring all options to create a safe and meaningful student-athlete experience. In accordance with all necessary guidelines, we will develop and make available conditioning sessions, small group activities, leadership programming and practice opportunities that will allow our student-athletes to work together with their coaches to the fullest extent that can be done safely.
 
At this time, the start date for winter sports, as well as spring sports is uncertain. We will continue to monitor the national and regional landscape throughout the fall semester and will be prepared to return to competition when possible. We will work with the NCAA and the GNAC to make sure we preserve eligibility for future involvement in sports.
 
We acknowledge this announcement may generate some questions. We will do our best to provide answers when we are able to during this uncertain time.
 
We want to thank everyone for their understanding and support. We all look forward to a return to campus activities, including athletics, as soon as possible.

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