[Wsssc] FW: Spring Sports Update

Mon Mar 16 20:40:09 PDT 2020

FYI
________________________________
From: Azurdia, Marco [MAzurdia at clark.edu]
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2020 5:51 PM
To: Alison Crumb, PenC; Andy Ward, TVCC; Ashley Dupler (adupler at spscc.edu); Aveena Singh; Barry Janusch, OC ; Bob Peters; Bobbi Hazeltine, WWCC ; Bobby Lee, NIC; Brad Baker, BMCC; Brad Barbarick, PCC; Brian McLennon, DC; Brian Murphy, SVC; Bryan Donohue, MHCC; Cassie Belmodis, ChCC; Charlene Rios; Cheryl Batschi, PiC; Cheryl Holden, CBC; Christine Nelson, RCC; Craig Jackson; Danny Day, WCC; Darren Van Lehn,, RCC; David Abdherhalden, ChCC; Dawn McClendon, BMCC; Duncan Stevenson, PiC; Garet Studer, EVCC; Will Rider; Graydon Stanley at nic.edu; Greg Sheley, Lane ; Jason Prenovost, TCC; Jayme Frazier, LBCC; Cox-garcia, Jaymie; Jeff Beha, WCC; Jeff Reinland, WWCC; Jenni Hull, CCS; Jennifer Alt, GHC; Jennifer Rhodes, EVCC; Jeremy Eggers; Jesscia Jones, RCC; Jim Martineau, ClCC; Jocelyn Lawrence; John Dunn, HCC; Kathie Woods at home; Kathie Woods, ClCC; Keilani Cruz, PiC; Kim Hyatt, MHCC; Kim Johansen, EdCC; Kirc Roland, LCC; LeMasters, Laura; Laura MacMillan, DC; Leslie Blackaby; Makoa Rosa; Mark Majeski (mark.majeski at linnbenton.edu); Mark Poth (markp at bigbend.edu); Mark Yoshino, BC; Mary Ann Verigan, TVCC; Mary Schroeder, WCC; Melanie Norris, CBC; Michelle Butler, PCC; Mike Herbert, SOCC; Nancy Anderson; Rachel Goetz; Racquel West, ShCC; Ray Funk, YVCC; Rick Ross; Robert Cox; Rosa, Laura; Rusty Veth, RCC ; Ryan Bodecker, ; Scott Rogers, CBC; Shannon Percell; Shelley Bannish; Spencer Roland; Spencer Stark, EdCC; Steve Eskridge, Shcc; Traci Hilligoss, LCC; Tyrone White, PCC; Vernell Willlingham, SPSCC; Vierck, Kyle
Cc: Kori Ebenhack; Robert Cox; Scott, Patty (pscott at socc.edu); Jim Minkler; Swisher, Tracy; Hays, Donna; Paul Hoeye; Tomas Hiler; Rick Jaggars
Subject: Spring Sports Update

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Good evening commissioners:

Today I have met via conference calls with the North, South, and East commissioners to discuss potential next steps for the NWAC.  The West Commissioners and I will connect tomorrow morning, but late this afternoon West Commissioners were contacted to gather their input as well.  Discussions today centered on the legitimacy of schools participating after 4/24 and if the NWAC granted a year eligibility for Spring 2020 student-athletes, would schools also honor the athletic package that was awarded to those student-athletes?  I asked the commissioners to check if their schools will honor the athletic grant in aid that was awarded to the student-athlete this year for the following year.  We also talked about whether it was time to end the NWAC spring sport season.

Of the 30 D1 athletic conferences, 13 have canceled spring sports all together and the rest have suspended indefinitely.  4-year conferences in our geographic area, Cascade Collegiate Conference have canceled spring sports, GNAC and PNW have suspended spring sports indefinitely, and other organizations such as the NAIA, CCCAA, NJCAA have cancelled all spring sports.

Sometime during our conference calls this morning, President Trump announced that groups of 10 or more should not meet and that this issue could head into August.  All of the preceding information along with the three conference calls leads me to believe we need to act sooner than later.  The following are the next steps for NWAC:

The Northwest Athletic Conference has decided to cancel all spring sport practices, competition and NWAC Championship events, effective immediately. This is a decision that we do not take lightly but in consultation with the NWAC Executive Board, member colleges, and other conferences, NWAC believes it makes the most sense.  It is our desire to do our part to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the interest of the health and well-being of our student-athletes, school personnel, and our fans.  We have student-athletes who are having to make significant decisions in a short and crowded time space.

The NWAC will continue to work on the eligibility concerns that arise from this situation so that our student-athletes can make informed decisions regarding their future.  No spring sport student-athlete who was enrolled full-time in 2020 will be charged a season of competition in the NWAC.  Athletic department personnel are encouraged to meet with student-athletes to discuss academic and/athletic options that may be available.  We will be setting criteria for student-athletes who wish to get their year back to use in the NWAC and will continue to work with the NCAA with the hopes they will honor our efforts for our transfer student-athletes.  NWAC will be looking at items such as expanding roster sizes as well as language that speaks to additional scholarships and waivers.  This will take some time.  But by tomorrow we should have a committee formalized to begin putting together guidelines for us regarding the aforementioned items.   It is up to each individual member college to decide on how to handle the scholarship and waiver issues for their student-athletes.

I appreciate everyone’s input and thoughts.  We have tried to be thoughtful in our decisions and as I have shared with a few parents who contacted me,  whatever is decided will be right in the eyes of some and wrong in the eyes of others.  Our concern is not about right and wrong, but about being thoughtful and trying to do what is best for approximately 4000 student-athletes.  Again, get with your coaches and your student-athletes as they need to hear it first from you.  We will post something on the website late tomorrow morning or by noon and we will work to update the FAQ.

The ride continues and we are not out of the woods yet.

Thank you.

Marco

Marco Azurdia
Executive Director
Northwest Athletic Conference
nwacsports.org<http://www.nwacsports.org>
Office: 360.992.2510
Cell: 509.669.6911

[cid:image001.png at 01D564D2.71B3B490]<http://www.nwacsports.org/>

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