NORFOLK, VA - The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Board of Directors voted unanimously this week to cancel USCAA National Championships in the sports of Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, and Volleyball. This decision was made after weighing several factors including a continued rise in cases of COVID-19 across the country which have led to increased state lockdowns and quarantine restrictions, coupled with CDC restrictions which make the possibility of normal regular season play almost impossible.
"The USCAA and its leadership have attempted to delay this decision as long as possible in order to provide the time necessary to slow the curve of the virus and give student-athletes the opportunity to compete," said USCAA Executive Director Matthew SImms. "However, we also realize that many institutions are looking to the USCAA to lead and to provide guidance. In addition to national trends and expert opinion, we also took into account significant uncertainty in the most recent round of polling across the association. In most sports, more than 40% of athletic directors reported no intent to compete or uncertainty of whether they would compete. Therefore, we believe this decision is truly in the best interest of USCAA member institutions’ ability to guide student-athletes and keep them safe."
The USCAA Board of Directors will reconvene in January to further discuss the sports of golf, cross country, baseball, and softball (which are deemed lower risk due to their non-contact and outdoor nature). Moving forward, the national office and Board of Directors will continue to monitor the pandemic, vaccine distribution, and expert opinion in an effort to host National Invitational events in basketball, soccer, and volleyball in the spring of 2021.
For more information on USCAA COVID updates, click the link.