The Centennial Conference Presidents Council has endorsed a plan for spring seasons in the sports of baseball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s outdoor track & field. A return to play will be contingent on the Conference and its member institutions being able to conduct competitions in ways that protect the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, staff members and their communities.
“Health and safety remains paramount to our Conference,” said Centennial Conference Executive Director Portia Hoeg. “While we are pleased our Presidents Council has endorsed the spring sports plan, we will proceed with cautious optimism in providing competition opportunities to our membership. I am grateful to our many constituents across the conference who have put in countless hours and worked tirelessly over the past several months to help devise a plan that will hopefully allow our student-athletes the opportunity to return to competition.”
Acknowledging the complexity of the public health and safety risks and the considerations unique to each campus, the Presidents Council agreed that each member institution retains autonomy over the decision as to whether or not to participate in athletics this spring. The Conference supports and respects the ability of each institution to make its own judgments regarding the health and safety of athletic competition, and to take its own approach to community health.
Consistent with a prioritization of health and safety, the Conference has adopted protocols on testing, travel, and game management standards that exceed the NCAA guidelines for spring sports. Protocols regarding team compliance with institutional COVID-19 risk mitigation requirements have also been developed. These protocols were established based on the advice of external public health and medical expertise.
The Presidents Council maintained that outside spectators will not be permitted at Centennial Conference contests. However, institutions are dedicated to providing video streaming and/or live statistics for competitions. The policy on spectators will be reevaluated throughout the season as state requirements and health and safety conditions evolve. Fans are encouraged to follow Centennial.org, as well as each institutions' website for more information.
The Conference and its members will continue to monitor the public health climate along with federal, state, and local guidelines regarding health and safety to make any necessary adjustments moving forward. All plans and protocols are subject to change based on the realities of the pandemic.
A modified Centennial Conference schedule and championship format will be released at a later date.