On Thursday, July 30, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) announced that its 2020 fall sports schedule has been postponed. The league’s intention is to develop a league schedule for the fall sports teams that could be played later in the academic year.
Calvin University, however, plans to continue to pursue non-conference competition options for its sports teams for the upcoming fall semester and then compete at the conference level when MIAA sports resume. As Calvin pursues fall sports competition, the university will do so following Covid-19 guidelines laid out by the NCAA, state and local health authorities.
NCAA GUIDELINES RESOURCE SITE / STATE OF MICHIGAN SAFE SCHOOLS ROADMAP
Calvin is joined by Adrian, Olivet and Trine as the MIAA schools that plan to pursue non-conference competition this fall semester. Olivet College will specifically explore options for competing in cross country, golf and tennis this fall.
For now, in addition to pursuing non-conference competition, Calvin will offer engaging athletic experiences for student-athletes for fall sports, including practice, skill development, strength and conditioning, leadership and professional development opportunities.
“Our goal at Calvin has always been to provide the best possible experience for our student-athletes,” said Calvin Director of Athletics Dr. Jim Timmer. “We hope that will include some limited competition this fall semester. At Calvin University we are committed to working within the framework laid out by NCAA, state and local officials. Our goal is to schedule competitions with other institutions that have made that same commitment and are also pursing non-conference competition this fall. ”
Timmer also noted that Calvin remains fully supportive of the MIAA decision. “We are fully committed to the MIAA and will continue to collaborate with our fellow members on all future competition.”
Dr. Michael Le Roy, the president of Calvin University stated, “We have promised our students that we would make every effort to ensure a safe, healthy, living and learning experience as we adapt to life under these pandemic conditions. This includes athletics. It is my belief that Calvin’s careful planning, thorough screening and testing, and the culture of our teams will serve to reinforce and support the goals and protocols we have for a safe return to Calvin this fall. The privilege of competing in Division III athletics provides important motivation for our student athletes. We will seek out opportunities to compete this fall with institutions who share our practices and standards, and we will also be willing to suspend our activities if we determine it is necessary.”
CALVIN UNIVERSITY SAFE RETURN RESOURCE SITE
Decisions regarding MIAA winter sports that begin play in the fall — men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, swimming and diving, and indoor track and field — will be made at a later date.
This article is comprised of information and media from a Calvin University press release. For more sports, news and entertainment, follow the Midwest Sports Network on Twitter@MWSNsports or like the MWSN page on Facebook.
