DE PERE – The Midwest Conference (MWC), which St. Norbert College is a member of, said it’s moving forward with plans to host intercollegiate athletic competition for the fall 2020 season barring changes in infection rates in the region.
The conference also announced it’s working with member institutions to identify a common set of criteria for the screening and monitoring of COVID-19 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, executive director of the MWC. “While the situation remains fluid and the decision to compete will ultimately be made by each institution, the consensus in the league right now is we will provide a venue for fall sports competition.”
Grinnell College, a member of the MWC, announced June 29 it was canceling football, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis, women’s golf and men’s and women’s cross country for the fall season.
In light of the public health situation 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 and athletic trainers are working 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’s expected there will be additional sport-by-sport guidance for both returning-to-play and in-season protocols.
Further announcements regarding MWC athletics for 2020-21 will be released in the weeks ahead.
Updates related to COVID-19 decisions can be found on the MWC website by CLICKING HERE.