NAIA Announcement (July 28, 2020)
SEWARD, Neb. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Council of Presidents (COP) voted on Tuesday, July 28 to postpone the national championships in cross country, men's soccer, women's soccer and women's volleyball to spring 2021. This decision still allows NAIA conferences to compete in the fall and winter, if they so choose. Concordia University, Nebraska, along with the Great Plains Athletic Conference, continues to plan for regular season competition this fall. As of today (July 29), fall regular-season schedules remain the same.
Prior to the COP’s vote, 51 NAIA individual institutions had already opted to postpone fall competition until spring 2021. On July 21, the GPAC released a statement to announce its intention to move forward with 2020 fall sports. Stated the GPAC, “The health and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, administrators and communities in the GPAC is our top priority. The GPAC is taking all necessary actions to help our campuses and communities address this public health crisis. We remain committed to providing a positive and safe experience for our GPAC student-athletes.”
Dates for the postponed fall NAIA national championships are yet to be announced. According to the NAIA, “The National Administrative Council will be working on a multitude of issues, including and especially new national championship dates and confirming locations. This will be a priority along with new parameters and schedules for national ratings and national players of the week.”
Official competition in the sports of volleyball, soccer and cross country is slated to begin Saturday, Sept. 5. GPAC football will kick off on Saturday, Sept. 12. The GPAC has established that student-athletes may begin practice (as defined by the NAIA) no earlier than Saturday, Aug. 15.
More details will be provided as they are made public. The timing of the football national championship will be determined at a subsequent COP meeting on Friday, July 31.