The future of college sports in the fall could be affected for a number of programs after the announcement on Tuesday by Cal State University Chancellor Timothy P. White that classes throughout the 23-campus system will mostly be on-line and virtual because of concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
“Consequently, our planning approach will result in CSU courses primarily being delivered virtually for the fall 2020 term, with limited exceptions for in-person teaching, learning and research activities that cannot be delivered virtually, are indispensable to the university’s core mission and can be conducted within rigiorous standards of safety and welfare,” according to White’s statement.
It is not clear yet what is in store in the fall for the Big West Conference, which has members from the CSU system, including Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State. Fall sports include women’s volleyball, cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s water polo.
Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell issued the following statement Tuesday regarding the CSU announcement:
“The Big West Conference athletic administrators and chief executive officers are monitoring the return to campus plans of all our member institutions and are proceeding with plans for fall athletic competition. We will continue to assess whether the return of athletic competition in the fall will be appropriate.”
The California Collegiate Athletic Association announced on its website Tuesday that the fall season had been postponed.
“….With utmost consideration for the health and welfare of our students, coaches, staff, faculty and communities, CCAA member institutions have determined that NCAA sport competition will not occur during the fall of 2020,” according to part of a statement by Dr. Gayle Hutchinson, president, Chico State University Chair, CCAA Board of Presidents.
“The CCAA member institutions will continue to advocate strongly to maintain NCAA championship opportunities for all of our student-athletes, including our fall sports, during the 2020-21 academic year and recommend competition resume when it is safe and appropriate to do so for all of its members. Additional information regarding plans for athletics in fall and spring will be communicated as soon as it becomes available.”
There are 13 schools in the NCAA Division 2 league: Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State East Bay, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State San Marcos, Cal Poly Pomona, Chico State, Humboldt State, San Francisco State, Sonoma State, Stanislaus State and UC San Diego.
The announcement from the CCAA was also published on a number of athletic websites within the league.
-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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