Mountain West Announcements from Spring Directors Meeting, June 1, 2020
The Mountain West Board of Directors (BOD) wrapped up its virtual spring meeting today, during which it took action on several items integral to the business of the Conference and national issues in intercollegiate athletics. The BOD also met jointly with the MW Directors of Athletics for a portion of the meeting. Among the key topics addressed by the Board, which is comprised of the Presidents from the 12 football-playing Conference member institutions, were the following:
- The Mountain West removed its indefinite suspension of in-person team athletic activities which had been in place since March 26. The MW will allow voluntary in-person athletic workouts for all sports beginning June 1. Each MW institution will have the discretion to make their determination within state, local, NCAA and campus guidelines.
- Discussed the MW Health and Safety Advisory Group comprised of medical professionals and senior level administrators representing all 12 Mountain West football-playing universities. The advisory group's mission is to help provide guidance as the league prepares for the return of athletics activities, including team gatherings, practices, conditioning and competition.
Members of the MW Health & Safety Advisory Group:
- Lt. Col. Joel Dixon, Associate Athletic Director of Sports Medicine, Air Force
- Dr. Katheryn Hughes, Reintegration Committee Medical Advisor, Boise State
- Terry DeZeeuw, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Health and Performance, Colorado State
- Dr. Jean Linder, Physician, Fresno State
- Lyn Nakagawa, Head Athletic Trainer, Hawai'i
- Dr. Tony Islas, Head Team Physician, Nevada
- Dr. Andy Veitch, Head Team Physician, New Mexico
- Patrick Spieldenner, Associate AD Athletic Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer, San Diego State
- Dr. Michael Henehan, Lead Team Physician, San José State
- Dr. Wade Gaal, Team Doctor/Sport Medicine Specialist, UNLV
- Mike Williams, Head Athletic Trainer, Utah State
- Matt Whisenant, Deputy Director of Athletics, Wyoming
Cost-Containment Measures:
- Reduce Conference office operating budget by 18 percent and diminish staff travel to regular-season contests, selected conventions and appropriate professional development seminars. Conference staff salaries will also be frozen and open positions will not be immediately replaced.
- Freeze officiating fees in all sports.
- Move in-person coaches' meetings and the Conference's 2020 spring and fall, and the 2021 spring meetings, to virtual events.
- Adjust in-person football and basketball media days to virtual events.
- Allow institutions to schedule second non-Division I opponent in men's basketball (replacing an RPI of 250 or worse).
- Utilize a 16-match modified double-round robin schedule in women's volleyball.
- Reduce conference baseball and softball series from three days to two (double-header and single game).
- Eliminate the baseball, men's and women's tennis and women's soccer tournaments.
- Host swimming championship and diving championship at separate venues on MW campuses over three days.
- Reduce men's and women's indoor track & field and men's and women's golf tournaments from three days to two, and men's and women's outdoor track & field from four to three days.
"The Mountain West Board of Directors and Directors of Athletics have collaborated for the past several weeks developing potential options to address the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic," said MW Commissioner Craig Thompson. "The focus of this effort has been to protect opportunities for student-athletes and to maintain the intercollegiate athletics offerings at each member institution which are so integral to the fabric of the respective campuses. These unprecedented times demand creative solutions and great work has been done at the institutional level and collectively as a Conference."
Mountain West Response to California State University System Fall 2020 Operational Plans, May 12, 6:25 PM (PT)
Certainly, all conversations are led by academics, as well as public health and safety. Within that framework, more determinations are necessary. All three institutions will work closely with the Mountain West. No decisions on athletics have been made.
Joseph Castro, President, California State University, Fresno
Adela de la Torre, President, San Diego State University
Mary Papazian, President, San José State University
Craig Thompson, Commissioner, Mountain West
NCAA grants spring sport student-athletes an additional year of eligibility, March 30, 4:50 PM (PT)
The Division I Council on Monday voted to allow schools to provide spring-sport student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension of their period of eligibility.
Members also adjusted financial aid rules to allow teams to carry more members on scholarship to account for incoming recruits and student-athletes who had been in their last year of eligibility who decide to stay. In a nod to the financial uncertainty faced by higher education, the Council vote also provided schools with the flexibility to give students the opportunity to return for 2020-21 without requiring that athletics aid be provided at the same level awarded for 2019-20. This flexibility applies only to student-athletes who would have exhausted eligibility in 2019-20.
Schools also will have the ability to use the NCAA's Student Assistance Fund to pay for scholarships for students who take advantage of the additional eligibility flexibility in 2020-21. Division I rules limit student-athletes to four seasons of competition in a five-year period. The Council's decision allows schools to self-apply waivers to restore one of those seasons of competition for student-athletes who had competed while eligible in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 spring season
The Council also will allow schools to self-apply a one-year extension of eligibility for spring-sport student-athletes, effectively extending each student's five-year "clock" by a year. This decision was especially important for student-athletes who had reached the end of their five-year clock in 2020 and saw their seasons end abruptly.
"The Council's decision gives individual schools the flexibility to make decisions at a campus level," said Council chair M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Penn. "The Board of Governors encouraged conferences and schools to take action in the best interest of student-athletes and their communities, and now schools have the opportunity to do that."
Winter sports were not included in the decision. Council members declined to extend eligibility for student-athletes in sports where all or much of their regular seasons were completed. The Council also increased the roster limit in baseball for student-athletes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the only spring sport with such a limit.
Mountain West decision on spring practices and workouts, March 26, 1 p.m. (PT)
All organized, in-person team athletically-related activities suspended indefinitely. Virtual team activities permissible within applicable parameters.
NCAA Statement on Student-Athlete Eligibility Relief, March 13, 11:51 a.m. (PT)
Council leadership agreed that eligibility relief is appropriate for all Division I student-athletes who participated in spring sports. Details of eligibility relief will be finalized at a later time. Additional issues with NCAA rules must be addressed, and appropriate governance bodies will work through those in the coming days and weeks.
San Jose State Athletics Director Marie Tuite Update, March 12, 5:30 p.m. (PT)
San Jose State University Athletics will suspend all team practices and close its athletics facilities beginning Friday, March 13, through Sunday, April 5. This period includes the University's spring break scheduled from Monday, March 30, through Friday, April 3.
The University will remain open during this time with coaches and staff working their regular schedules. Student-athletes still can practice on their own, be able to meet with their coaches, continue athletic training rehabilitation and treatments, and can consult with the academic advising staff on instructionally-related matters.
Mountain West Update, March 12, 5:00 p.m. (PT)
The Mountain West Board of Directors has now officially canceled all remaining spring sports competitions and MW championships. This decision follows the recent announcement from the NCAA to cancel all of its winter and spring championships. The MW Board had previously placed an indefinite suspension on these events. The MW Board has also established a moratorium on all on-campus and off-campus in-person recruiting activities for the foreseeable future. These changes are based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat and the ability to ensure the events do not contribute to the spread of the pandemic. The health and well-being of student-athletes, as well as the campus and general communities, is of utmost priority.
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Statement, March 12, 4:00 p.m. (PT)
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), in consultation with our five charter conferences (Big West, MWC, Pac-12, WAC and WCC) is immediately canceling all remaining winter sports competition including championships and is indefinitely suspending all spring sports competition including conference, non-conference and championships competition.
Given the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 virus and the fluidity of containment efforts, it is absolutely necessary that the MPSF collaborate with our greater NCAA community to minimize the spread and overall impact of the coronavirus pandemic. As always, we remain committed to the safety and well-being of our student-athletes, campus staff and all others who contribute to the MPSF.
Statement from San Jose State Athletics Director Marie Tuite, March 12, 3:00 p.m. (PT)
The coronavirus continues to impact all of our lives. We are in agreement with and support the Mountain West's announcement today to cancel spring sports competitions. The action is in the best interest of the student-athletes, coaches, staff, fans and friends of San Jose State University athletics. All individual game tickets purchased are eligible to receive an immediate refund at the point of sale. We remind everyone to follow health and safety measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
NCAA Statement, March 12, 1:15 p.m. (PT)
Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men's and women's 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.
Mountain West Statement, March 12, 11:00 a.m. (PT)
Given the current status of COVID-19, the Mountain West Board of Directors has suspended all spring sport competitions indefinitely. The health and well-being of student-athletes, as well as the campus and general communities, is of utmost priority. Therefore, the Board has determined the most prudent course of action is to align with the recommendations of public health care and government officials to help limit the spread of the virus. Those teams currently on the road competing may complete those events and then return to campus. Those teams that have not yet departed shall suspend travel immediately. Decisions with regard to the continuation of local practice activities in various sports (e.g., spring football) are a matter of institutional discretion depending upon local conditions. Those teams that have qualified for an NCAA Championship event may participate at institutional discretion, subject to the status of those events as determined by the NCAA. Decisions regarding prospective student-athlete recruitment shall be made at institutional discretion on a case-by-case basis. The status of sport programs which compete in other conferences shall be determined by the respective institutions and those conferences.