PROVO – In keeping with many other leagues around the country, the West Coast Conference, which includes BYU, announced Thursday that it has postponed any competition fall competition due to the coronavirus pandemic and is looking for ways to compete in the spring.
The decision was reached by the WCC Board of Presidents after consultation with the 10 athletic directors and commissioner of the league Gloria Nevarez over the past several weeks.
This movement affects women’s ball, football, cross-country men and women’s cross-country. But it does not affect men’s and women’s basketball, which is scheduled for November.
The conference “remains fully dedicated and continues to work closely with campus leadership on plans to ensure a safe environment to host the 2020-21 WCC men’s and women’s basketball in the winter,” according to league officials. The conference aims to explore different models for running WCC competitions in the autumn sports of cross-country men, women’s and women’s football and women’s ball in the spring of 2021. The WCC strongly supports efforts to promote the National Collegiate Athletic Encourage association to hold NCAA championships in the spring. ”
While the WCC is postponing sports and championships, the league is allowing members to schedule non-conference competitions this fall in ‘low-risk sports’.
“Since returning to campus on June 1, our student-athletes, coaches and support staff have worked hard to prepare for the fall sports seasons. We were hoping, with carefully defined protocols, that we could participate in the fall sports, “BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said in a statement.” Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic challenges facing many of the West Coast Conference schools, especially the schools in California that did not have their student-athletes back on campus, were too challenging to overcome.At the moment, we are deeply saddened by our student- athletes and coaches in women’s soccer, women’s soccer and men’s and women’s cross-country, whose seasons have been postponed until spring. on the go, or on BYUtv.Our student-athletes will miss the fans as much as they miss them.Our main focus forward is to help our student-athletes manage the unique challenges they face and prepare them for the chance if they can return to competition.We will return – if it’s possible – be ready to represent our beloved Brigham Young University.
According to a release, “talks that have different plan models, game security protocols and a timeline for WCC competition are ongoing and will be shared at the appropriate time.”
“The well-being of the great student-athletes of the West Coast Conference is and will always be the guiding principle in our conversations and why we finally came to this difficult decision,” said President James T. Harris, University of San Diego, the Chairman of the Council of Presidents of the WCC. “The autumn term for everyone associated with our member institutions will be different. We understand this and will continue to plan for a safe return to campus and a safe return to athletic competition in the WCC at the appropriate time. “
“We empathize with our student-athletes. This is a difficult decision, but it is the responsible decision based on the available information associated with conducting competition in the current environment, ‘Nevarez said. “WCC programs compete for national titles and we never want to take away those opportunities. However, health and safety will always be very important in guiding our decisions. We must ensure that our student-athletes have a safe environment to compete and comply with the NCAA’s guidelines for resocialization of collegiate sports, along with current federal, state, and local health and safety measures adopted at each institution in member. We are committed to providing the safeguards for celebrating a basketball season for men and women this winter. We want to get back to celebrating the great achievements of our programs as soon as we can, but we must first ensure that we can compete in a safe way. ”
Earlier this summer, the WCC announced that the league would delay the start of the fall sport until September 24 due to the pandemic.
BYU released statements from its coaches influenced by the decision to suspend fall sports until spring.
“The highest priority is the safety of our student-athletes. I know the WCC has done a lot of work and research to come to this conclusion and we honor that decision, “said men’s Cross-country coach Ed Eyestone, who will lead the Cougars to a national championship in 2019.” With our cross-country runners, they train all year round for the opportunity to race, so their day-to-day training does not change significantly. We are hopeful that the pandemic will decrease to the extent that we can return to the national championships in the winter semester. We look forward to defending our national championship at the next opportunity. ”
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“I am amazed at our student-athletes and staff who have put in so much work this year to prepare for the fall season,” said women’s ball coach Heather Olmstead. “Although we do not know what the future holds, I am confident that our team will respond to this challenge and get out of it better. To all our fans, thank you for your great support – we can not wait until we can compete for you again, whether it’s on the road or at home in the Smith Fieldhouse. We will be back stronger than before. ”
“We are apparently disappointed that the autumn season has been postponed. We were looking forward to the possibilities of the 2020 football season, “said football coach Jennifer Rockwood. “There has been so much effort and preparation in recent months because our student-athletes have been preparing for the season. Our staff and team understand the unique situation we are all in for and hope that in time competition can continue and student-athletes can return to play the game they love. “
“I am heartbroken for all the student-athletes whose seasons have been affected and are being affected by this pandemic. We are excited to showcase the hard work and sacrifice of our current athletes along with our talented incoming class, ”said Diljeet Taylor, women’s coach for women. “The distance of BYU women is a sisterhood and we will lean on each other as we navigate this ongoing situation together. I am confident that my women will continue to train hard with goals for future success in mind. I have no doubt that we will get the chance to pursue our dreams again. This takes time, but we believe the comeback is always greater than the commitment. We look forward to reapplying to the Y. shortly. ”
