ECC Suspends Intercollegiate Competition for Fall Semester

West Babylon, N.Y. - The East Coast Conference Council of Presidents has unanimously voted to suspend all intercollegiate competition during the fall 2020 semester due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

The ECC is committed to providing meaningful seasons of competition for all impacted teams and their student-athletes during the spring semester with plans to begin competition after January 1, 2021. 

The ECC Council of Presidents issued the following statement: "In the best tradition of NCAA Division II, the presidents of the East Coast Conference always make the health and safety of our student-athletes our highest priority, and this is why we unanimously chose to make this unprecedented change in this year's schedule."

ECC Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff added, "Along with many of our colleagues in intercollegiate athletics, after a great deal of consideration and discussion with our presidents and athletic leadership, we find ourselves having to make this very difficult decision of suspending fall 2020 sports competition. Challenging times like the COVID-19 Pandemic bring with them challenging decisions and we must focus on protecting the health and welfare of student-athletes and all those who support them on our campuses."

Dranoff continued, "While there may not be athletic competition in the fall, we will continue our efforts to plan for Winter and Spring sports and support our institutions in providing the best possible experience for all student-athletes." 

Affected by the decision are the conference's fall sports of men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, and women's volleyball. The sport of women's tennis had previously been moved to the spring season in a vote by the league's athletic directors last month.

Efforts to plan schedules and championship opportunities for fall sports will begin at once.

The conference's winter sports — men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, and women's bowling — are also affected by the decision as the sports will not start their season of competition until the beginning of 2021. Conference championship dates for the winter sports will remain intact.

In addition, training, workout, and practice activities during the fall semester will be left to the discretion of each institution based on facilities, staffing, and in accordance with school, local, and state regulations.
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Letter from Director of Athletics Rob Twible 

Athletics is an integral part of any college campus, and I know the profound impact this decision will have on our student-athletes, athletics staff, and community. However, the safety and health of our students and staff is paramount, and holding a season under current health conditions would just not be possible.

Please note, this decision currently only affects fall semester sports. Winter sports that typically take place in both semesters will not begin until after January 1 at the earliest, while the spring sports schedule is not affected at this time. A decision on the remaining competition calendar, and on whether fall sport competition would be feasible in the spring, will be determined at a later date.

We will continue to work diligently over the next several months to formulate a safe plan to return to competition, and I am hopeful that our dedicated student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete at some point during the coming academic year.

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