With the potential risk of a second wave of COVID-19, many of the athletic divisions have decided to cancel or postpone their fall sports seasons. 

The ODAC, Centennial Conference, NCAC, and Liberty League are some of the athletic conferences that have announced the cancellation of their fall sport seasons. On July 24, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) followed suit with the aforementioned conferences by cancelling all sports activity for the fall season.

“This decision was very difficult,” said Dr. Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Chair of MAC President’s Council. “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.” 

The future of winter and spring sports is in the hands of the Pennsylvania governors and the NCAA. The safety of the athletes is the number one priority of not only the MAC, but also of president Dr. Greg Cant. 

“The current track of the COVID-19 virus and the multitude of variables that are beyond our control will make it very difficult to keep you, your teammates and your coaches safe,” said Cant. 

Even though fall sports have been cancelled, Wilkes is dedicated to keeping athletes on track with their skill development and training sessions. New workout and practice procedures are in the early stages of development. 

Fall athletes may have lost their season, but they will not lose a year of eligibility. The NCAA has provided an eligibility waiver for student-athletes who do not participate in more than 50 percent of their games for the 2020-2021 season. 

As of now, the winter and spring seasons will have delayed starts. Winter sports are looking at having condensed seasons that will last 114 days.