Release courtesy of Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC)

ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – After careful consideration of internal and external circumstances and with the health and well-being of each campus and community in mind, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Presidents made the difficult decision to suspend all intercollegiate athletics competition through the fall semester in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The MAC Presidents are well aware of the important role athletics plays in the lives of student-athletes and are committed to exploring creative approaches and alternatives that will provide future competitive experiences for fall sport student-athletes in the spring semester as circumstances allow.

The MAC presidents, athletics directors and the MAC COVID-19 Advisory Group will continue to evaluate the athletics landscape throughout the 2020-21 academic year to address:
 

• Engaging fall, winter and spring sport student-athletes in the fall term with coaches following all institutional, local and national health and safety guidelines
• Shifting fall sport competitive seasons to the spring, insofar as possible
• Scheduling winter sports competition beginning in 2021
• Implementing league-wide and campus safety measures for practices and competitions when they do occur
• Developing league-wide and institutional personal and professional development programming

 
"This decision was very difficult, as we know how deep the love of the game is for our student-athletes and that intercollegiate events are an important part of campus life for our entire community," said Dr. Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Chair of MAC President's Council and Hood College President. "However, we are confident that our coaches and athletic staff will work with the students to build an engaging athletic experience for our student-athletes while mitigating the risk of COVID-19."

"I understand the announcement by the MAC about fall sports is disappointing and not an easy decision," said Cheryl Ish, King's College Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation. "The health and safety of our student athletes, coaches, staff and campus community is our priority during these unprecedented times. We continue to determine the appropriate steps to safely move forward with our athletic and recreation opportunities and are committed to providing a meaningful experience. We will explore every option to safely bring our student athletes back to competition."

General questions will be addressed through an FAQ document available here.

Questions about the MAC's response not addressed in the FAQs can be directed to questions@gomacsports.com.