CIAA has Suspended 2020 Fall Sports Season

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to make its presence felt in the college ranks with college sports being no exception as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has announced that they will be suspending the 2020 fall sports season. The sports postponed will be men’s and women’s cross country, volleyball and football.

There is a possibility that the 2020 fall sports seasons could be fulfilled in spring 2021 with a modified schedule at the recommendation of the CIAA’s Athletic Directors Association and with the approval of the CIAA’s Board of Directors.

While sports will be cancelled for the semester, members of the CIAA unanimously decided that they will honor athletic scholarships for their fall sports student-athletes.

CIAA Commissioner Jacquie McWilliams had this to say regarding the decision to suspend the fall 2020 sports season,

“This was a difficult decision but remains consistent with our long-standing priority of always acting in the best interest of our student-athletes, coaches, and support staff. While there will be no athletic competition in the fall, we will continue to support opportunities that enhance the experiences of our student-athletes, member institutions, and partners.”

Clyde Doughty, Bowie State VP of Intercollegiate Athletics & Recreation and President of CIAA Athletic Directors Association, echoed the words of the CIAA Commissioner saying,

“The safety, health, and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff are non-negotiable. Decisions of this magnitude are made with those factors as number one priority while looking to address current issues that have an adverse impact on all of us. These are unprecedented times and our conference continues to work together to identify the best solutions that address the concerns impacting our ability to participate and exist.”

This decision makes the CIAA the second majority HBCU sports conference to suspend play for fall sports in 2020 as the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) have also announced they will be suspending fall sports for the 2020 season.

Both conferences said this in a joint statement,

“The CIAA and SIAC both appreciates and understands the significant impact that today’s announcements with regard to the status of 2020 Fall sports. Both the CIAA and SIAC enjoy athletic related events, traditions, and rivalries that date back over one-hundred years.  However, in light of the increased health and safety risks confronting much of the country, today the CIAA and SIAC affirm that the welfare of our student-athletes is sacrosanct and must preempt all other considerations when evaluating any return to competition efforts.”

College sports is not the only area of HBCU life that has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as many schools have announced they will be cancelling homecoming activities in the fall.

These colleges include: Johnson C. Smith University, Benedict College, Virginia State University, Langston University, Spelman/Morehouse College, North Carolina Central University, Fayetteville State University, Howard University, Winston-Salem State University, and North Carolina A&T State University with possibly more to come.

While these decisions may seem to unprecedented and it is almost insane to think about what a fall semester would be like without sports or homecoming activities, the health and safety of the students is the more important than any of that so props to each of these institutions, the CIAA and the SIAC for prioritizing the students’ health before their own personal gain.

CIAA Suspends NCAA Competition for Fall 2020 https://t.co/2mJU5nUxMk

— CIAA (@CIAAForLife) July 9, 2020