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UAA, Which Includes CMU, Cancels Formal Winter Sport Competition

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The UAA, which includes CMU, is canceling formal winter sport competition.

The University Athletic Association Presidents Council unanimously approved a resolution to cancel all formal winter sport competition for the 2020-21 season, the UAA announced Tuesday.

A statement from the UAA says discussions between committees made up of athletic administrators, vice presidents and deans, faculty athletics representatives, athletic trainers and others have met regularly. But they've been unable resolve issues like NCAA testing protocols for winter sports and coronavirus restrictions in a way that would acceptably mitigate the level of risk.

"I am grateful to the athletics directors from across the UAA's eight member schools and UAA Executive Vice President Dick Rasmussen for their commitment and dedication over the past several months to consider how best to support our scholar-athletes," said Farnam Jahanian, CMU president and chair of the UAA Presidents Council in a statement.

"Our athletics programs bring such vitality and school spirit to our communities. While it is very disappointing to contemplate another season without UAA competition, our commitment to student health and safety is at odds with a conference schedule that would require travel at significant distances. We look forward to a return to play within the UAA as soon as we can, and I am confident that we will be stronger than ever when we can once again compete."

The UAA says institutions can decide if there's any currently scheduled UAA contests they can keep.

"As institutions work to identify and schedule competition with institutions outside the UAA, they remain committed to working cooperatively with each other to adjust any remaining, viable dates of UAA competition in order to provide each other with as much flexibility as possible in reshaping their winter schedules," a press release says.

According to the Trib, CMU plans to pursue playing a nonconference schedule.

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