IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON 2020/21 SPORTS
The issue:
On June 8, 2020 USports canceled 2020 Fall Championships due to COVID-19.
Following that decision the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, Atlantic University Sport, and the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) each made the decision to cancel all fall semester sports.
On October 15, 2020 USports made the decision to not offer winter 2021 national championships (basketball, hockey, swimming, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling).
Following that decision the OUA made a decision to cancel sanctioned sport programming to March 31, 2021, and Canada West made a decision that no conference regular season, playoff or championship events will be staged during the 2020/21 season in men's and women's basketball, volleyball, hockey and wrestling, along with women's rugby 7's.
On October 20, 2020 the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association announced that it was cancelling winter championships for the 2020/21 season.
Atlantic University Sports (AUS) subsequently announced that it had formed a new committee, called the AUS Return-to-play committee, dedicated to exploring possible return-to-play options for the 2020-21 winter semester. The AUS ultimately decided that there would be no return to play in 2020/21 season.
As well, the RSEQ suspended all activities of sport programming at Quebec universities and colleges effective October 15, 2020, and until at least January 15, 2021. The RSEQ ultimately decided that there would be no return to play in the 2020/21 season.
Given the USports, OUA, Canada West and CCAA's "early" decisions relate essentially to the rest of the academic year, the Canadian Student-Athlete Association at the time wrote a response to each organization. Given the AUS and RSEQ decisions left the door open for possible return-to-play at the time, no response was written.
Click here to read the Canadian Student-Athlete Association response to USports on its decision.
Click here to read the Canadian Student-Athlete Association response to the OUA on its decision.
Click here to read the Canadian Student-Athlete Association response to Canada West on its decision.
Click here to read the Canadian Student-Athlete Association response to the CCAA on its decison.