Covid Impacts on Upcoming Season

[Ejay]

Trinity Texas just announced on their twitter feed that the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference has approved an 8 game conference season in the Spring. Yes, I know, it hasn't happened yet and a lot can happen before then.  We can talk in May about whether this was a good or bad idea.

https://mobile.twitter.com/TrinitySoccerTX/status/1314266627173736448

Shhhh, don't tell D-Mac who said conferences planning to play fall sports in the spring weren't "working in reality".

[PaulNewman]

Trinity Texas just announced on their twitter feed that the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference has approved an 8 game conference season in the Spring. Yes, I know, it hasn't happened yet and a lot can happen before then.  We can talk in May about whether this was a good or bad idea.

https://mobile.twitter.com/TrinitySoccerTX/status/1314266627173736448

Shhhh, don't tell D-Mac who said conferences planning to play fall sports in the spring weren't "working in reality".

Come on now....please be fair and present a full picture.  He is still VERY confident that a Fall season will happen....in 2020.

Meanwhile, the NESCAC quietly has canceled all Winter competition.

[Ejay]

The ODAC announces plan for return to play in spring...
Soccer (men): shift its existing eight-game unbalanced schedule from fall 2020 to spring 2021. The season will begin Sunday, February 21 and continue thru Sunday, April 4. Four teams will qualify for the ODAC Tournament, slated for Thursday, April 8 and Sunday, April 11

https://www.odaconline.com/general/2020-21/releases/111720-odac-update-spring-semester
https://www.odaconline.com/general/2020-21/releases/111720-odac-spring-update-faq

[Falconer]

Despite COVID, the PA state soccer finals are tonight—and the school district that includes the Messiah soccer field (the rest of campus across the Yellow Breeches Creek is in a different county and district), Northern York, is in the the final for the first time ever. They have several players with very impressive offensive numbers. Haven't heard whether any are planning to become Falcons. I can think of just two players from Northern who played at Messiah in the past, none too recently. Northern is the same HS where the great distance runner Marlie Starliper (some here will recognize that name) set the state XC course record and finished second last year in the national Foot Locker race. She's now at NC State. The last Northern team to win a title was, I think, the baseball team in 2011.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Trinity Texas just announced on their twitter feed that the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference has approved an 8 game conference season in the Spring. Yes, I know, it hasn't happened yet and a lot can happen before then.  We can talk in May about whether this was a good or bad idea.

https://mobile.twitter.com/TrinitySoccerTX/status/1314266627173736448

Shhhh, don't tell D-Mac who said conferences planning to play fall sports in the spring weren't "working in reality".

Come on now....please be fair and present a full picture.  He is still VERY confident that a Fall season will happen....in 2020.

Meanwhile, the NESCAC quietly has canceled all Winter competition.

Excuse me what? You guys seem to once again not understand what I say when I say it.

For the record, I was in the hospital during this latest shot at me ... so just seeing it. Maybe I should have ignored it because ... it's pointless to repeat myself.

[PlaySimple]

Northern is the same HS where the great distance runner Marlie Starliper (some here will recognize that name) set the state XC course record and finished second last year in the national Foot Locker race.

This is an off topic post.

BTW, her name is "Marlee." I just happened to see your post. Do you happen to know why she did not run at NC State this past cross country season? They have a loaded women's team, taking 1st place in their three major competitions this season and winning the ACC Championships. They were 2nd in a tri-meet vs Wake Forest and UNC but that was with the reserve runners. Marlee did not run in any competition this fall . She may not have been the top runner but she most certainly would have run varsity. I'm just wondering if she was injured or redshirted.

[Ron Boerger]

The SCAC published a Winter/Spring sports schedule update today - no changes for soccer, which for the men is a ten-week schedule starting Feb 20 with conference championships Apr 23-25 at Centenary, women's a nine-week schedule starting Feb 27 with championships Apr 23-25 at Texas Lutheran.

https://www.scacsports.com/news/2020-2021/covid19_update7

[PlaySimple]

It's not D3 but Michigan announced on Saturday that there is a pause of all athletic activity for up to 14 days. This is due to some involved in UofM athletics testing positive for a variant strain of covid that is more virulent.

From the UofM press release:

"The mandate follows positive test results for the SAR-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant virus infections from several individuals linked to the U-M Athletic Department through its diligent testing regiment. The B.1.1.7 variant is thought to be approximately 50 percent more transmissible than the standard form of the virus, leading to faster spread of the virus, potentially increased numbers of cases, and additional hospitalizations and deaths."

There have been struggles to holding winter sports at D3 schools around the country. Basketball games are being postponed or canceled, I've heard of some track meets being canceled, etc. Some schools, colleges, and high schools, have tried to combat the situation for track meets by holding events that might be jumping only, throws only, sprints only, distance events only, etc. That's easier to do with a sport like track but it can't work for basketball or most team sports. This all does not bode well for a spring season. I hope that I'm wrong but it's going to be tough.

Here is the UofM press release: https://mgoblue.com/news/2021/1/23/general-university-of-michigan-athletics-enters-department-wide-activity-pause.aspx

[Ejay]

Surprised no one has referenced it yet, but the ODAC started their spring schedule earlier this month. Unfortunately weather has impacted many games, but still... they're playing!

https://www.odaconline.com/sports/msoc/2020-21/schedule

[Gotberg]

CCIW schools are playing a conference schedule beginning in late March.

[CC United]

The Spring 2021 soccer season has started for schools in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC)(Trinity Texas, Texas Lutheran, Colorado College, South Western ...). https://www.scacsports.com/sports/msoc/2020-21/schedule

Some of the games this past weekend were canceled due to the weather.  Also, the SCAC  member schools are currently not allowing spectators at athletic events, but most of the games are available for streaming.  I have no connection to either school, but Texas Lutheran v. Southwestern on Sunday should be a good game.

Finally, I noticed d3soccer.com is posting some scores from around the country on their scoreboard.

We have a long way to go, but maybe, just maybe, we have turned a corner.  Hopefully, the lessons learned this Spring will help programs around the country have a smooth season this Fall. 

[jekelish]

The Spring 2021 soccer season has started for schools in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC)(Trinity Texas, Texas Lutheran, Colorado College, South Western ...). https://www.scacsports.com/sports/msoc/2020-21/schedule

Some of the games this past weekend were canceled due to the weather.  Also, the SCAC  member schools are currently not allowing spectators at athletic events, but most of the games are available for streaming.  I have no connection to either school, but Texas Lutheran v. Southwestern on Sunday should be a good game.

Finally, I noticed d3soccer.com is posting some scores from around the country on their scoreboard.

We have a long way to go, but maybe, just maybe, we have turned a corner.  Hopefully, the lessons learned this Spring will help programs around the country have a smooth season this Fall.

Trinity at Austin College has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues, unfortunately. The women's game is still going to be taking place but the men's match will hopefully be able to be made up later this spring.

[Pilsner]

Can anyone confirm if any of the D3 conferences are requiring masks during play? - other than the Landmark Conference?  Spectators also banned from at least Catholic University games. 

[Ron Boerger]

The SCAC hasn't required them for volleyball or basketball so don't see why they would for soccer.

[Ejay]

Spectators also banned from at least Catholic University games.

The entire Landmark is "banning" spectators - not just Catholic.

Fans are not permitted at any Landmark contests at this time. It is the hope that this policy can be revisited for outdoor sports later this semester if conditions improve and subject to state and local health authorities permitting outdoor gatherings.Fans are encouraged to follow the action of their favorite programs via live streams for available games. The conference's Blueframe channel can be accessed via the web at landmarknetwork.tv