In June, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) issued guidelines regarding their plans for the fall 2020 sports seasons. All of Olivet’s fall athletic teams will be affected by the changes.
According to the NAIA, August 15 is the first authorized date for official practices, though less formal virtual conditioning can start at any time and most fall sport athletes will move in to Olivet before that date. Athletes will complete a health screening each day a practice or team activity occurs with additional screening the day of a competition.
Contests can begin on September 5, with the exception of football. Competitions can begin only when a certain threshold of the member institutions for each sport have met health and safety guidelines. Football will also require four weeks of practice, meaning that the soonest that games can be played is on September 12, 2020.
Across the board, the NAIA guidelines dictate that competitions be reduced. Cross country can only have seven meets, down from eight; football can only have nine games, down from 11; men’s and women’s soccer can only have 14 games, down from 18; and women’s volleyball: 22 matches, down from 28.
Pending the ability to adhere to government and CDC recommendations, the NAIA is still planning on having championships for fall sports. The status of and schedule for those contests will be announced later in the semester.
Each member institution is responsible for providing safe conditions for athletes to live, practice and play in and Olivet is committed to taking care of its students. For more information on operational changes for the fall semester at Olivet, visit olivet.edu/update. The full list of NAIA guidelines can be found here.
For the team rosters, fall schedules and more news and information regarding ONU Athletics, visit www.onutigers.com.
Published 7/9/2020
LB
