SUNY, Hartwick College

Cancel Fall Sports Season

ONEONTA – Both governing boards for SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College have suspended the fall athletic season, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The State University of New York Athletic Conference and The Empire 8 Athletic Conference Presidents Council each made their announcement this afternoon. Additionally, SUNY will delay their winter conference until Jan. 1, 2021, while at Hartwick, The Empire 8 Presidents Council has not made a decision regarding winter sports.

“Last week the NCAA released the newest resocialization guidelines, which requires frequent COVID testing of student-athletes,” said Tracey Ranieri, SUNY Oneonta director of athletics. “It was clear, both as an institution and as a member of the SUNYAC, that frequent testing of student-athletes would be extremely complicated and a hurdle we couldn’t jump over. With student-athlete safety, health and well-being as our priorities, we were left with the difficult decision to forego competition until it is unquestionably safe.”

As a member of the Empire 8, Hartwick College affected teams include men’s football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s field hockey, women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball.

“After careful consideration, I voted with my Empire 8 presidential colleagues to
postpone our fall athletics season,” said Hartwick President Margaret L. Drugovich, a member
of the Council. “This decision followed a robust discussion and thorough consideration of
current New York State guidelines and evolving recommendations from the NCAA. As the
health and welfare of our community remains our priority, this is the best decision. Nonetheless,
it was a difficult decision to make. Athletics is important to our community – both for the
student-athletes who compete and all of us who cheer them on.”

Per NCAA Division III rules, Hartwick’s affected student-athletes will not be counted as having participated in the 2020-21 season if their team can complete only 50% or less of the sport’s maximum contests/dates of competition due to the postponement.