INDIANAPOLIS — It's not just the big conference schools that are trying to figure out their fall sports plans while the pandemic remains in full force. Indiana's smaller colleges are also having to make difficult decisions.
Wednesday, Wabash College in Crawfordsville and DePauw University in Greencastle announced their fall sports teams, including football, will not play this year after their conference, the North Coast Athletic Conference, suspended athletic competition through the end of December.
Among other events, this means no Monon Bell game this year. The small college football classic featuring Wabash and DePauw has been played 126 times, dating back to the late 1800's.
“This is disappointing news for our student-athletes who have been looking forward to returning to competition as one way to find some normalcy in a world turned upside down,” said Wabash President Scott Feller. “It is also a disappointment to the many people who have invested months of time and effort developing plans for athletic activities to be part of our campus experience this fall.”
"My heart aches for our student-athletes, coaches and staff," said Stevie Baker-Watson, DePauw Associate Vice President for Campus Wellness and Theodore Katula Director of Athletics. "For our 600-plus student-athletes, competition is a key component of their DePauw experience, but their safety and well-being is our top priority. After our students left campus in March, our coaches stayed engaged with them and were instrumental in guiding them through a very challenging time. I'm proud of the work they've all done and will continue to do through the remainder of 2020. TeamDePauw is already moving forward and planning for 2021."
The North Coast Athletic Conference had previously been working toward a modified fall schedule built around a health and safety plan developed by the athletic and medical staffs of member schools, but was forced to re-evaluate its plan following new guidance released last week by the NCAA.
Matt Tanney, Director of Athletics and Campus Wellness at Wabash, said that the college and conference are committed to providing meaningful virtual and on-campus experiences for student-athletes this fall. In addition, practices, workouts, and training will continue in an adjusted format.
“Let's not sugar coat the news – it’s a disappointing day for our scholar-athletes, coaches, and staff,” Tanney said. “Yet, we wholly respect this outcome, given the prioritization of the health and safety of everyone involved in athletics programming. I remain buoyed with optimism for engaging and purposeful opportunities for Wabash scholar-athletes this fall, thanks to a shared commitment among our coaches and NCAC colleagues in delivering a quality athletics experience.”
