CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The National Junior College Athletic Association announced Monday it is postponing most sports until the spring semester.
The NJCAA includes Dawson Community College and Miles Community College, which both participate in the Mon-Dak Conference. DCC offers basketball, cross country, track and field, and esports for men and women, while also offering men's baseball and women's softball and volleyball. MCC has men's and women's basketball, men's baseball, and women's softball and volleyball.
According to the NJCAA announcement, all close-contact fall sports will be moved to the spring semester. That includes volleyball, but the NJCAA cross country championships will remain as scheduled. The NJCAA cross country season typically starts in mid-September and concludes in November.
The NJCAA also announced that all winter sports competition, including men's and women's basketball, won't begin until January. The 2020-21 basketball seasons were scheduled to start in late October or early November.
"Our greatest focus is and always has been providing the best opportunities for our student-athletes," NJCAA president and CEO Dr. Christopher Parker said in the release. "Through a unified effort from our Presidential Advisory Council, the Board of Regents, and leadership staff, our most recent plan of action provides a path that keeps our student-athletes competing at the highest level with proper safety measures in place. As we move forward as an association, we will continue to provide opportunities for our student-athletes, coaches, and all those involved with the NJCAA to be safe and successful."
The NJCAA announcement comes less than three weeks after Sheridan and Gillette colleges in Wyoming announced the eliminations of their athletic programs in a massive budget reduction to the Northwest Wyoming Community College District due to COVID-19 issues.
The complete NJCAA announcement, which includes updates on football and other sports not offered at DCC or MCC, can be read here.
