From Emory University Athletics
The University Athletic Association Presidents Council has unanimously approved a resolution to cancel all formal UAA winter sport competition for the 2020-21 season.
Over the last several months, UAA committees – which are comprised of athletics administrators, vice presidents and deans, faculty athletics representatives, athletics trainers, and others – have met on a regular basis to consider how winter sport competition might take place as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact campuses, communities, and the nation.
It became clear that a substantial number of challenges remain unresolved. They include implementation of recommended NCAA testing protocols for winter sports, current institutional travel limitations, local and state travel quarantine guidelines, local restrictions on the size of group gatherings, event management, and contingency planning to provide care for individuals who may test positive or become symptomatic while traveling. These challenges cannot be resolved in a manner that would facilitate an acceptable level of risk mitigation for student-athletes, coaches, officials, and staff. For many of the same reasons, the UAA made the difficult decision to cancel winter sports.
Due to the continued prevalence of the virus and the rising infection rates regionally and nationally, Emory has announced that its intercollegiate athletics winter teams (men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and men’s and women’s swimming and diving) will not engage in intercollegiate competition this season.
A determination regarding the feasibility of intercollegiate competition for Emory’s spring sports (baseball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field) will be made by the university at a later date.
Currently, a working group is exploring when and how Emory intercollegiate athletics can reintroduce team-related physical activities on campus consistent with the university’s public health and safety guidelines and expectations. The working group consists of Athletics administrators, coaches, sports medicine and team physicians, and Emory health and public safety experts.
A series of listening sessions will be conducted in partnership with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) before the working group submits its recommendations. More information regarding the listening sessions will be sent to varsity student-athletes via email.
In the following weeks, the working group’s recommendations will be submitted to university leadership for consideration. Final decisions will be shared with the Emory community.
The working group is comprised of the following:
Department of Athletics
Dr. Jonathan Bonnet, Emory Athletics Team Physician
John Dunham, Head Athletic Trainer Emory University
Audrey Hester, Emory University Assistant Athletics Director
Michael Hyde, Associate Director of Athletic Facilities
Joyce Jaleel, Emory Senior Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator
Sue Patberg, Emory Head Women’s Soccer Coach
Jason Zimmerman, Emory University Head Men’s Basketball Coach
CEPAR (Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response)
Alexander Isakov, MD, MPH (Executive Director)
EHSO (Environmental Health and Safety Office)
Scott Thomaston (Executive Director)
Robin Ruthenborg
Cyndi Palfrey
Student Health Services
Dr. Sharon Rabinovitz (Executive Director)
Epidemiology
Zachary O. Binney, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor Quantitative Theory and Methods, Oxford College of Emory University
Oxford College Athletics
Roderick Stubbs, Athletics Director
Emory thanks the university community for its continuing commitment to the health and safety
of all members. For ongoing updates from the university, please visit Emory Forward.