DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – On Thursday, December 10, 2020, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University announced that its student-athletes will only compete in cross country, golf, tennis and track and field for both men and women during the spring 2021 semester. These sports programs have been deemed a low risk for spreading Covid-19, as defined by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II.
For the fall sports of soccer and volleyball, the Presidents' Council of the Sunshine State Conference has decided to cancel conference competition and championships.
Embry-Riddle student-athletes will not participate in outside competition in those sports defined by the NCAA as "intermediate" or "high" risk, including baseball, basketball, lacrosse, rowing and softball.
Practice and other training opportunities will be allowed for all student-athletes during the spring 2021 semester, so long as strict health protocols are followed.
These decisions were made with Embry-Riddle student-athletes and the entire university community's health, safety and well-being as our highest priority.
Statement from Embry-Riddle's President
The Sunshine State Conference (SCC) Presidents Council announced on Thursday that, in an effort to promote health and safety amid the Covid-19 pandemic, conference competition and championships for soccer, volleyball and swimming will be canceled for the 2020-2021 academic year. Cross Country, which is considered a low-transmission sport as defined by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II, will maintain conference competition this spring — under the conditions of no overnight travel and competition against conference teams only.
Embry-Riddle will only participate in NCAA-defined "low-risk" sports in the spring 2021 semester, forgoing competition in any sport considered to have "intermediate" to "high" contact risk levels at both residential campuses, in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona.
Golf, tennis, track and field and cross country are considered low-risk sports, according to guidance from the NCAA, and they follow the same testing protocols as those currently employed throughout Embry-Riddle's campuses.
At Embry-Riddle, we have a "Student, Person, Player" focus — and first and foremost, our athletes are Eagles. This decision will keep many of those Eagles engaged in competition, while prioritizing the health and safety of the entire university community, including the faculty who teach them in our classrooms as well as staff and fellow students who interact with them on a daily basis.
Athletics directors and coaches will work individually with student-athletes to determine eligibility and develop "stay strong" plans. Outdoor recreation areas will also remain open to support fitness efforts.
We continue to anticipate the wide distribution of Covid-19 vaccines soon, but until that happens, we will make decisions with the health and safety of the entire university community forefront in our minds.
P. Barry Butler, Ph.D.
President
