The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced that it’s postponing fall sports championships until the spring of 2021 and leaving it up to the individual conferences to determine when each will conduct its season.
NAIA Council of Presidents chair Arvid Johnson and NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr stated in an email: “Given the fast-paced and constantly-changing nature of the current environment, the COP recognized that the likelihood of safely completing the fall sports season has decreased significantly.
“This decision allows conferences the autonomy to consider the regional impact of COVID-19 when determining the appropriate time for regular season competition. It also increases flexibility by permitting a current, split, or entirely postponed regular season, all of which can precede postseason play.”
The Golden State Athletic Conference, in which Westmont competes, will meet later this week to consider its options.
The NAIA’s announcement directly affects five Westmont sports – men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball.
Though dates for the championships have not been determined, it is likely they will be held in April.
Men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball athletes had been scheduled to report to the Westmont campus at the end of the first week of August. However, those plans have been curtailed, with those student-athletes coming to campus with the rest of the student body.