TROY, N.Y. - TROY, N.Y. – Liberty League commissioner Tracy King announced Wednesday that the league's Presidents Council has voted unanimously to cancel all Liberty League competition and championships through Dec. 31, 2020, due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the past several months, member institutions have been developing plans for a safe reopening of campuses this fall, including a possible resumption of intercollegiate athletics with the safety and well-being of students and campus communities as the top priority. While the Liberty League previously outlined a plan focused primarily on league competition, the league members have continued to monitor and evaluate guidance provided by the NCAA as well as other national, state and local health and safety guidelines. The members understood that the league may need to change course as the pandemic evolved.
"With institutions and conferences both regionally and nationally making the difficult decision to cancel fall competition, our announcement to cancel Liberty League competition and championships will likely not come as a surprise," said King. "Nevertheless, I understand the deep disappointment that many of our student-athletes, who have trained and prepared for competition, will feel with this decision. Moving forward, our members will continue to work together to provide meaningful athletic opportunities to support our student-athletes."
The decision to cancel Liberty League competition does not preclude individual institutions from engaging in student-athlete activities that are conducted in accordance with Division III regulations as well as institutional, state and local health and safety guidelines.
"We are going to use this opportunity to keep our student-athletes engaged and active," Bard Athletic Director Kris Hall said. "Intercollegiate competition involves travel off of our campus and inviting others to travel to ours. With the current public health challenges, the presidents have wisely decided that it is not in the best interest of our students to have that level of exposure.
"A key to maintaining a safe and healthy campus is to minimize travel for everyone in the Bard community," Hall continued. "We will still be able to engage in athletic activities by following all of the NCAA and state protocols and guidelines. We will have team training, work on individual and team building, gather together on topics such as leadership, diversity, culture, and mental health, and use this time to continue to grow as an athletic program. It's also a chance to be outside on our beautiful campus and engage with the Bard community as a whole."
Collectively, the Liberty League will continue to explore the feasibility of conducting fall sport activities in the spring term if the NCAA determines that to be an option.
Liberty League Presidents Council
Leon Botstein, Bard College
Anthony Collins, Clarkson University
Joyce Jacobsen, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Shirley Collado, Ithaca College
Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
David Munson, Rochester Institute of Technology
Marc Conner, Skidmore College
William Fox, St. Lawrence University
David Harris, Union College
Sarah Mangelsdorf, University of Rochester
Elizabeth Bradley, Vassar College
