MCC Daily Tribune

SUNY Athletic Conference Spring Sports to Resume on March 20

SUNYAC Student Athletes Star in SUNY Spring #MaskUpSUNY Campaign to Keep Campuses Safe; First Video Online Here

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced that the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) will resume spring sports on March 20. Lacrosse, baseball, softball, tennis, and track and field will all have seasons.

On January 20, 2021 Chancellor Malatras sent a letter to SUNYAC asking the league to develop a plan for the possible resumption of spring athletic competition. Over the past month, the league convened more than 50 stakeholders including campus presidents, athletic directors, coaches, and health experts to develop a plan. Last night the final plan was adopted by SUNYAC, which includes the following:

Conference will be split into East/West region to limit travel and overnight stays
Masks worn at all times by athletes, coaches, officials, except for athletes during competition or active practice
No spectators pursuant to New York State Department of Health guidance
Regular weekly testing/COVID symptom checks prior to competition
Prior to road games, athletes will be tested within three days of departure
No eating, masks worn on buses for travel; bus capacity reduced to 50 percent
No handshakes, group celebrations or pre- or post-interaction with opposing team

The plan also includes that rising COVID positivity rates could delay or pause competition.

The full SUNYAC operational plans may be found online here and here. Leading up to spring sports, SUNY also unveiled a new video from SUNY Brockport, a SUNYAC campus, as a part of its #MaskUpSUNY campaign to keep campuses safe for the spring semester. The spring campaign will star SUNYAC student athletes as they prepare to get back in the game and can be found online here. Other SUNYAC campuses include: Buffalo State, Cortland, Fredonia, Geneseo, New Paltz, Oneonta, Oswego, Plattsburgh, and Potsdam.

“The pandemic has kept our student athletes off the playing field for too long, but thanks to the great work and effort of SUNYAC Commissioner DiCamillo, our campus presidents, the SUNYAC leadership, athletic directors, coaches, and our athletes, we’ve developed a workable plan to resume athletic competition at SUNY,” said Chancellor Malatras. “I look forward to all of the great competition this year, and SUNY, like always, will aggressively handle any situations related to COVID as they emerge. I have confidence in our students—both on and off the field—to stay the course and comply to keep one another and our entire campuses and communities safe.”

SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley said, “I want to thank and acknowledge the dedication, tenacity, and insight of Chancellor Malatras, our SUNYAC presidents, and Conference Commissioner Tom DiCamillo, as well as SUNY Oswego Athletic Directors Eric Summers and Dan Kane and our campus coaches for their hard work in producing a plan for spring 2021 that is feasible, while still being highly focused on safety. I want to especially note that our athletes have been part of an amazing effort to stay strong, well, and ready to compete. We know it has taken the commitment of all our students to step up and play a critical role in helping to mitigate the spread of the virus on the Oswego campus and in the greater community.“

SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum, Chair of SUNYAC’s President’s Council, said, “Athletics is an important aspect of student life at SUNY Cortland and all SUNYAC institutions. I am grateful to the dozens of individuals who worked to create a plan that will allow SUNYAC teams to safely resume competition, and immensely proud of our student athletes, who I know they will make the most of this opportunity.”

SUNYAC Commissioner Tom DiCamillo said, “This plan has come together after consultation with SUNYAC presidents and experts across the campuses, as well as close partnership with our local health officials. It includes a thorough strategy to keep players, coaches, and personnel safe, and we are pleased to get the season started for more of our SUNYAC teams. My thanks to Chancellor Malatras for his support.”

SUNY Oswego Senior Myles Felton, Baseball, said, “We know this wasn’t an easy decision, and my teammates and I are thankful and beyond excited. This is what we have dedicated so much of our time to do—compete. We are ready to play and will continue to do what we can to keep each other safe.”

Oswego Mayor William J. Barlow said, “I applaud Chancellor Malatras’ announcement today allowing for SUNY spring sports to resume. SUNY’s safety protocols and aggressive testing infrastructure have proven, over and over, to be effective and serves as the main reason sports can safely re-start this spring. I’m confident our student athletes will act responsibly and know that re-starting SUNY Oswego’s athletic program is an important component to our SUNY community and, as a result, the entire Oswego community.”

The SUNYAC plan follows a comprehensive review of spring sports by more than 50 individual athletic administrators, coaches, assignors of officials, certified athletic trainers, and sports information directors. The plan was shared with each individual local Department of Health.

The spring sports sponsored by the SUNYAC for return under this plan are considered intermediate and low risk and will be contested outdoors. The following sports are set to begin March 20 and will continue until late May/early June: Baseball, Lacrosse (Men’s), Lacrosse (Women’s), Softball, Tennis (Women’s), and Track & Field - Outdoor (Men’s & Women’s).

The SUNYAC is an NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic conference featuring 10 full-member SUNY institutions (Brockport, Buffalo State, Cortland, Fredonia, Geneseo, New Paltz, Oneonta, Oswego, Plattsburgh and Potsdam) and one affiliate (Morrisville) that sponsors 20 championships (9 men’s, 11 women’s). There are more than 4,500 student athletes that compete in the SUNYAC.

Rosanna Yule
Government and Community Relations
02/24/2021