Canton, NY – After months of consideration regarding possible options for safely engaging in athletics this fall, North Atlantic Conference (NAC) presidents and athletic administrators have come to a difficult decision. It has become clear that in the best interest of student-athletes, staff, and campus communities, a traditional NAC experience will not be possible this fall.
 
As such, there will be no conference contests or championships in the NAC in any fall sport this coming semester, Fall 2020.
 
Six of SUNY Canton's seven fall sports compete in the NAC. They include: men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's golf and women's volleyball. The women's golf team competes in the Northeast Women's Golf Conference (NWGC), which has yet to make a formal announcement.
   
However, this decision does not preclude individual institutions, such as SUNY Canton, from scheduling some athletic competition. This means that all varsity sports will be evaluated with COVID-19 safety protocols as our top priority, and student-athletes may have the opportunity to participate in competitions including games and scrimmages outside of NAC competition.
 
"The NAC Presidents waited as long as we could to try and have a traditional fall sports season for our student-athletes," Dr. Zvi Szafran said. "While this fall will be much different for our teams, we look forward to still providing them with an opportunity to practice and train while adhering to safety guidelines and best practices."
 
As long as safety allows, student-athletes will still be provided athletic opportunities, including strength and conditioning training, practices, and team-related activities. SUNY Canton will continue to explore non-traditional athletic competition for its spring sport teams during the fall semester.
 
SUNY Canton is open to the possibility of conducting fall sports seasons and championships during the Spring 2021 semester if the NAC and NCAA consider that option. A decision on winter and spring sports competition will be made at a later date taking all local and state safety protocols into consideration including directives from the Governor.
 
"Today is a difficult day and we feel the disappointment of all of our fall student-athletes and staff," Athletic Director Randy Sieminski said. "SUNY Canton is committed to continuing to offer the best opportunities we can for all of our student-athletes, while doing so in a safe manner. While this fall sports season will look much different, it is important to continue training our student-athletes so that we can continue the growth of our student-athletes both academically and athletically. Our coaches are working hard to plan for this fall in order to give our student-athletes the best experience possible moving forward."
 
To view SUNY Canton's full reopening plan which was approved by SUNY and released on July 1st, 2020, click HERE. The college has also launched a RESTART WEBPAGE which will include all the latest updates.
 
Any updates to our 2020-21 athletics plan will be shared with the members of our community as decisions are made. Communication on check-in and move-in dates, facility usage, eligibility questions, etc. will be sent as details are confirmed.
 
NCAA D-III Administrative Committee Approves Blanket Waivers for Participation
NCAA Division III has approved a blanket waiver for participation for student-athletes for the 2020-21 academic year. Division III student-athletes will not be charged with participation for the 2020-21 season if their team can complete only 50% or less of the sport's maximum contests/dates of competition due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To view the entire story from the NCAA click HERE.
 
   

About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 21 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The college's 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity eSports and cheerleading. For more information, visit www.canton.edu.