DANBURY — Over the past several months, institutions throughout the Little East Conference and their respective athletics departments have closely monitored the evolving situation surrounding COVID-19 and the pandemic’s impact on intercollegiate competition. The Little East Conference President’s Council announced July 28 that conference-sponsored competition, including conference championship events, would not take place for the duration of the fall 2020 semester. After careful review and with guidance from university administration, Western Connecticut State University has announced the cancellation of intercollegiate competition during the fall 2020 semester.

“It is with a heavy heart and deep reluctance that we must cancel all contests for the fall 2020 semester,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation Lori R. Mazza. “The health and safety of our student-athletes and staff remains our top priority, and this is a sacrifice we must make to ensure their wellness, and that of the entire campus community. It is important to emphasize the important role that athletics plays in the lives of students and staff across campus and we look forward to returning to competition as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Many student-athletes will be returning to campus to resume their studies and WestConn plans to provide a safe environment for those individuals to work with their coaches and practice in small groups. All proper protocols will be followed, including the phased resocialization plan provided by the NCAA. Social distancing, PPE, and limited capacity/group size are all part of the safety protocols that will be followed. The goal is to provide a safe and healthy environment for student-athletes to benefit from the athletic experience. The university recently released information about returning to campus, which can be found at wcsu.edu/reopen. FAQs can be found on the home page at westconnathletics.com.

“Though this is not the outcome we had hoped for and worked toward, we appreciate everyone’s patience and support during this challenging time,” said Mazza. “We will continue to work with colleagues throughout the Little East Conference to discuss plans for winter and spring competition.”