After the MIAC Presidents Council cancelled the 2020 conference regular season and postseason championships, St. Thomas cancelled the remainder of the spring sports season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this, the NCAA Division III Administrative Committee is granting an additional season of eligibility for those participating in spring sports.

The MIAC’s decision to cancel is effective beginning March 13 for the remainder of the academic year. It only affects conference play and championships. Each MIAC school is encouraged to make its own non-conference play decisions.

“It’s certainly disappointing,” associate athletic director Tyler Grey said. “We as a staff and especially our coaches have done a really good job of continuing to have good perspective in understanding that this isn’t a sports thing.”

St. Thomas sports information director Gene McGivern said that the athletics department is “still evaluating” the situation and, like St. Thomas, may re-evaluate the situation after Easter break.

“We sort of looked at Easter maybe, so that might be what we do too,” McGivern said.

The St. Thomas teams that compete in the MIAC during the spring are softball, baseball, track and field, tennis and golf.

“The MIAC shares in the disappointment that this difficult decision will bring to student-athletes, families, coaches and fans; however, the uncertainty of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that for the safety and well-being of our student-athletes, athletic staff, and campus communities, it is no longer feasible for conference athletic activities to continue at this time,” a statement from the MIAC website said.

The decision follows the NCAA canceling spring sports championship tournaments.

Abby Sliva can be reached at sliv7912@stthomas.edu.
Justin Amaker contributed to this report.