The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which is made up of nine colleges located throughout the Southland, on Tuesday, Dec. 1 canceled competition for all of its fall and winter sports this school year because of safety concerns caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“In accordance with public health guidance and safety standards, as well as NCAA Resocialization recommendations,” the SCIAC said in a news release, “the SCIAC presidents have unanimously agreed to cancel conference competition, including championships, for all fall and winter sports during the 2020-21 academic year.”
The decision came one day after Los Angeles County implemented tighter restrictions to protect public health and safety at a time when COVID-19 cases have risen significantly in Southern California. Orange County was moved into the purple tier (widespread virus) two weeks ago.
The sports included in the decision are football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s water polo, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and women’s swimming & diving.
Some of the fall and winter sports had been hoping they could play conference-only schedules in the spring, but Tuesday’s announcement eliminates that option.
Schools in the SCIAC, which compete at the NCAA Division III level, are Cal Tech, Cal Lutheran, Chapman, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, La Verne, Occidental, Pomna-Pitzer, Redlands and Whittier.
The conference said it will make a decision about the spring sports at a later date.
“The SCIAC and its members remain committed to exploring meaningful competitive conference experiences for spring sport student-athletes later in the spring semester,” the SCIAC said in its release. “As the pandemic evolves, the SCIAC will continue to monitor changing federal, state, and local guidance, and will continue to consult with each other as well as public health authorities.”
SCIAC said schools will be allowed to “permit conditioning, practicing, and other forms of competition as it relates to fall and winter sports during this spring semester.”
Chapman was the SCIAC football champion last season with a 7-0 conference record. The Panthers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Redlands finished second at 6-1 and lost in the first round of the Division 3 playoffs.
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