CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference announced today the Council of President’s decision to delay the start of all conference fall sports with the hopes of conducting seasons in the winter/spring of 2021. Additionally, intercollegiate competition in
all CCC sports is suspended until at least November 1st and will be reevaluated at that time. Schools will have autonomy to conduct practices, weight training, conditioning and other team activities in accordance with campus, local and state policies, as well as, the NAIA approved 24-week period.
“The ongoing issues with COVID-19 and the surge in cases, particularly in the geographical regions of our members schools, has made the prospect of properly conducting a fall season with the confidence we need to ensure the health and safety of our student-athletes during this pandemic unrealistic,” stated CCC Commissioner Robert Cashell.
The location of member schools in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, Canada that have CCC fall sports, present significant challenges given the different phases of re-opening in each area. Additionally, the U.S./Canadian border remains closed to travel at this time.
The fall sports delayed are women’s volleyball, men’s/women’s cross-country, men’s/women’s soccer and men’s/women’s golf.
“We communicated with the national office that we were looking at this option for the CCC, and encouraged the NAIA to also take a hard look at doing the same,” stated incoming Council of Presidents’ Chair and Bushnell University President Dr. Joe Womack. “While we all want to have our student-athletes compete at the highest level, which is in a national tournament, we believe if we can provide a robust conference schedule and a CCC Championship experience in the spring that is safer and provides more stability, we owe it to our schools to try and do so.”
Committees made up of sport coaches and administrators throughout the league will begin working on what the revised schedules will look like, as well as, setting standard start dates for each sport to begin practices.
If the NAIA were to make the decision to move fall sport championships to the spring the CCC will have the ability to reengage with the NAIA revised structure and will adjust schedules accordingly.
No decisions were made regarding delaying the winter sports of men’s/women’s basketball or men’s/women’s wrestling at this time. The league will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and if necessary, winter sports could be adjusted as well.