Lehigh Times

DeSales University issued the following announcement.

The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Presidents met this week and affirmed their support for moving forward with tentative plans for winter sports in a manner that prioritizes the health and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, campuses and local communities.

Due to state and local restrictions and rising rates of infection across the MAC region, the conference leadership will meet over the next few months and continue to track the trajectory of the pandemic and resulting health and safety recommendations or mandates from local, state and national public health authorities to determine on-going plans and schedules.

The tentative plan for men's and women's basketball is to start a conference-only season no earlier than mid-February with a 5-to-6 week schedule and the possibility of a conference championship. The swimming season is slated to start in early March, potentially culminating with a MAC Championship in mid-April.

The 2021 MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships and the 2021 MAC Wrestling Championship have been canceled. However, the conference presidents supported institutional autonomy for indoor track & field and wrestling, allowing each institution to schedule outside competition at its discretion.

The MAC will rely on the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) decision as it pertains to the men's and women's ice hockey season.

"We continue to be hopeful that circumstances will allow intercollegiate competition to resume for MAC institutions in 2021," said Megan Morrison, MAC Executive Director. "While we remain hopeful, we simultaneously share in the disappointment that our athletics communities feel in having championships canceled and seasons cut short."

The MAC athletics directors continue to develop plans focusing on conference and regional competition in fall and spring sports for consideration by the presidents at a future meeting.

The MAC will continue to prioritize the health and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, campuses and communities and therefore will continue to evaluate both internal and external factors as needed. The conference will, at minimum, comply with all applicable mandates and NCAA Sport Science Institute's recommendations for resocialization of collegiate sports.

If you have questions, you can email questions@gomacsports.com.

ABOUT THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE

Located in Annville, Pa., the Middle Atlantic Conference is an NCAA Division III conference comprised of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth (MAC Commonwealth) and Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom)

Its 18 member institutions, located across three states, are: Albright College (Reading, Pa.), Alvernia University (Reading, Pa.), Arcadia University (Glenside, Pa.), Delaware Valley University (Doylestown, Pa.), DeSales University (Center Valley, Pa.), Eastern University (St. Davids, Pa.), Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus (Madison, N.J.), Hood College (Frederick, Md.), King's College (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.), Lebanon Valley College (Annville, Pa.), Lycoming College (Williamsport, Pa.), Messiah University (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Misericordia University (Dallas, Pa.), Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, N.J.), Stevenson University (Owings Mills, Md.), Widener University (Chester, Pa.) and Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.), and York College of Pennsylvania (York, Pa.)

The MAC currently sponsors 27 intercollegiate sports that compete in the NCAA Division III. More than 7,000 student-athletes participate in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track & field, softball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's volleyball and wrestling.

Original source can be found here.