SUPERIOR, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-Superior and Yellowjacket Athletics, in cooperation with the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC), have announced an update for the fall 2020 sports season.
 
The UMAC said in an announcement that, following extensive deliberations and meetings of various UMAC governance groups throughout the past three months assessing the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic, the UMAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors has voted to modify the timing of conference competition and championships for fall sports classified as high‐risk by the NCAA Sports Science Institute (SSI).
 
At UW-Superior, men's and women's soccer and volleyball fall into the high-risk category according to the NCAA. As a result, those sports will not entertain any outside competition during the 2020 fall semester.
 
Per directive of the Council of Presidents and Chancellors, the UMAC will pursue opportunities to provide conference competition in the spring for the fall sports of football, men's and women's soccer and volleyball. This could include a conference post‐season tournament/championship in the spring for men's and women's soccer and volleyball in addition to other conference competition.
 
UMAC institutions, including UW-Superior, remain focused on providing meaningful experiences for all student‐athletes in the fall of 2020 which could include opportunities for practice, small‐group training, skill development, strength and conditioning and leadership programming.
 
Men's and women's golf – which are classified as low‐risk sports – will be permitted to compete this fall, and conference championships will be conducted as planned. Men's and women's cross country are classified as medium‐risk sports and may compete in regular season competition and conference championships as planned provided accommodations and modifications can be made by UMAC institutions and the conference to move all such regular season and conference championship events to low‐risk classification per the adjustments outlined by the NCAA SSI. Competition for golf and cross country will be limited to conference members only per previous decision put in place by the Council of Presidents and Chancellors.
 
UW-Superior is scheduled to host the 2020 UMAC Cross Country Championships at Nemadji Golf Course in Superior.
 
UMAC conference decisions related to fall sports competition have been guided by state and local public health officials, the NCAA SSI recommendations and campus institutional policies. At the time of the conference discussions and decisions, the NCAA Resocialization of Collegiate Sport recommendations regarding testing for high‐risk sports presented significant challenges for some conference institutions to feasibly secure testing and ensure timely results to safely conduct conference fall competition. The health and safety of student‐athletes, athletics personnel, and greater campus communities of members of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference is of utmost importance.
 
The UMAC continues to monitor changing circumstances related to COVID‐19. Decisions regarding winter sports including season structures and starting dates will be made at a later date. Any further decisions for 2020‐2021 made by conference governance groups will continue to be driven by available guidance from local and state health officials and the NCAA SSI and are subject to change.