Emmanuel Follows GNAC Protocol; Cancels Springs Athletic Seasons
BOSTON, Mass.. – Following the NCAA announcement to cancel all remaining winter and spring championships, and recognizing the spread and ongoing threat of COVID-19, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Presidents' Council voted unanimously to make the difficult decision to cancel all spring competition, practices, and championships for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.
BOSTON, Mass.. – Following the NCAA announcement to cancel all remaining winter and spring championships, and recognizing the spread and ongoing threat of COVID-19, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Presidents' Council voted unanimously to make the difficult decision to cancel all spring competition, practices, and championships for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.
As of Saturday, March 14, the Emmanuel College men's volleyball, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track & field and softball seasons are officially canceled for the remainder of the academic year.
Official statement from the NCAA:
"NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men's and women's 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities."
As all parties continue to monitor the hourly developments and spread of the 2019 novel Coronavirus, many GNAC member institutions have already shifted to temporary or semester-long online learning structures prior to Friday's announcement. Emmanuel College will move to an online-only format for the remainder of the spring semester.
For additional information, announcements and resources at Emmanuel College, please visit: https://www.emmanuel.edu/covid-19.html
GNAC league administrators and presidents have worked diligently over the last week as the crisis rapidly developed across the globe and the discontinuation of spring sports was necessary in order to best prioritize and protect the health and safety of all student-athletes and the surrounding communities.
The NCAA is also encouraging schools and conferences to make decisions and take action in the best interest of their students and campuses.
GNAC Presidents' Council
Marc M. Camille, Ed.D., Albertus Magnus College
Mary Lou Retelle, Anna Maria College
Susan D. Stuebner, Ed.D., Colby-Sawyer College
Sister Janet Eisner, SNDdeN, Emmanuel College
Marie Bernardo-Sousa, LP.D., Johnson & Wales University (RI)
Michael B. Alexander, Lasell University
Richard Schneider, Ph.D., Norwich University
Antoinette Hays, Ph.D., Regis College
Sister Paula Marie Buley, IHM, Rivier University
Rhona C. Free, Ph.D., University of Saint Joseph (CT)
Dr. James Dlugos, Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Helen G. Drinan, Simmons University
Marisa J. Kelly, Suffolk University