*Last Updated 2/23/2021 at 3:45 p.m.

The following page is intended to assist member institutions, student-athletes, and fans in understanding the process the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) took to reach decisions regarding 2020-21 winter sports seasons, as well as the implications these decisions will have on eligibility, scheduling, and the student-athlete experience in 2020-2021. Following extensive deliberations and meetings, the UMAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted to continue pursuing conference competition and championships for winter sports. This page strives to provide answers to frequently asked questions about these conference decisions. It will be updated as new questions arise or additional information is provided by state and national governing bodies.
 
What actions has the UMAC taken in regards to the winter competition season?
The UMAC announced Tuesday, December 22, that conference competition for the sports of men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s and women’s tennis will resume conference competition no earlier than January 30, 2021. The conference intends to provide regular season competition and a conference tournament in men’s and women’s basketball, as well as regular season competition and conference championships for men’s and women’s indoor track and field.
 
The conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors approved a recommendation from the UMAC Council of Athletics Directors to allow institutions to compete in non-conference competition, beginning January 1, 2021, against any opponent that follows the NCAA Sports Science Institute (SSI) testing recommendations and protocols as outlined in the Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition, Second Edition. All UMAC institutions will follow these recommendations for the remainder of the 2020-21 academic year in order to compete.
 
On September 1, the UMAC suspended conference-governed competition in men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s indoor track and field until December 31, 2020. Under this provision, institutions are permitted to compete in non-conference competition at their own discretion.

How were these decisions made?
Conference decisions to modify winter sports structures from a conference perspective were made following several months of discussion and meetings at various levels of UMAC governance. The UMAC Council of Athletics Directors met consistently throughout the fall and early winter leading up to the winter sports seasons to make recommendations, based on the latest guidance from local and state health officials and the NCAA SSI.
 
In the late fall, the NCAA SSI revised its recommendations regarding return-to-play, specifically in the sport of basketball with the release of the Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Basketball. Subsequently, a second edition was released (Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition, Second Edition) that included modifications to sport risk-level classifications and testing recommendations. This guidance was released by the NCAA SSI as “recommendations” and not “requirements” as was previously enforced by the NCAA Board of Governors for fall competition. Additionally, the NCAA worked to secure testing partners to provide member institutions with feasible, cost-effective options for testing to meet these new requirements. Increased latitude for types of testing allowed under the SSI recommendations (i.e. antigen and point-of-care options) provided further flexibility for institutions to meet these requirements. These changes and recommendations from the NCAA, along with greater availability and accessibility of testing options, provided a more realistic path forward for conference competition in winter sports beginning in the spring semester.
 
Throughout the fall and early winter, UMAC administrators engaged with athletic trainers, campus administrators, health care professionals, legal counsel, risk managers and coaches to guide campus perspectives. The UMAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors also engaged regularly to review and direct the work being led by the UMAC AD Council. Additionally, the UMAC consulted with public health experts and utilized the guidance of national health organizations and national sport governing bodies and the NCAA, in particular the Association’s Core Principles for Resocialization of College Sports. The UMAC also worked closely with state and local health departments and officials to develop conference plans regarding safe return-to-play and competition.
 
Additional information about the UMAC process for decisions on fall sports decisions can be found in the UMAC Fall 2020 COVID-19 FAQ.

How are sports transmission risk levels determined?
In accordance with the NCAA’s Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Sports, each NCAA-sponsored sport was classified as low-, medium-, or high-risk for virus transmission based on consensus from the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel and the AMSSM COVID-19 Working Group on the probability and significance of respiratory droplet spread during vigorous exercise when physical distancing and masking are not applied or are not possible. In the latest guidance (page 18-19), sports and corresponding recommendations are now determined by indoor and outdoor sports as well as low-, medium- and high-risk.
 
How does state and local health guidance impact practice and competition within the UMAC?
The UMAC and its member institutions will continue to utilize and follow recommendations from state and local health officials as it relates to practice, competition, testing and protocols. This includes adhering to any requirements issued by respective states and counties.
 
The Minnesota Executive Order issued on Dec. 16 extends through Jan. 10. Within the order, there are significant measures that impact what institutions of higher education can do as it relates to athletics (i.e. testing requirements, hosting multiple teams, no spectators, etc.). If that order were to be extended beyond Jan. 10, UMAC institutions in Minnesota would need to comply with any restrictions issued under the Order. The UMAC will continue to engage with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to monitor the situation and any potential impacts it could have on the conference plans to move forward with winter and spring competition.
 
What types of testing and protocols will student-athletes and teams have to follow in order to compete in winter sports?
The UMAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors approved a recommendation to follow the testing and protocols as outlined in the NCAA SSI Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition, Second Edition, for the remainder of 2020-21. Men’s and women’s basketball are classified as a high-risk transmission sports which will require all members in Tier 1 (i.e. student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers) to be tested three times a week in order to compete. Men’s and women’s indoor track and field are classified as intermediate-risk transmission sports which requires 25-50 percent of Tier 1 individuals to be surveillance tested every one-to-two weeks.
 
The NCAA SSI and other governing bodies have issued guidance for safety modifications related to competition and game management that the UMAC will utilize in finalizing conference protocols that all conference teams must adhere to in order to compete. These protocols will cover areas such as masking, physical distancing, quarantine procedures, table management and more.
 
The type of testing methods used remain at the discretion of each institution and must meet the recommendations outlined in the SSI recommendations. Student-athletes with questions about testing at their institutions should reach out to the athletics administrators at their respective institutions.
 
What happens to the UMAC schedules and conference tournaments or championships if teams choose not to compete or can no longer compete during the season?
Competition is at the discretion of each UMAC institution. Per UMAC bylaws, for team sports (i.e. men’s and women’s basketball), as long as five conference members sponsor competition, the UMAC will offer regular season competition and a conference tournament. Schedules will be modified as needed throughout the season to adjust for cancellations of competition or seasons by UMAC teams for COVID-related reasons. If contests are able to be made up within the parameters of the conference season, it will be permitted.
 
What will conference schedules and tournaments and championships look like for winter sports?
For men’s and women’s basketball, the Council of Presidents and Chancellors approved an eight-game single-round robin regular season format with competition set to begin Saturday, Jan. 30. Nine-team conference tournaments will begin Monday, March 1 with opening round games and continue on Thursday, March 4 with quarterfinal contests. The semifinal round will take place Saturday, March 6. The championship games are set for Monday, March 8. No doubleheaders will take place for the 2021 UMAC basketball season. Men’s and women’s teams will play at opposite sites with game times yet to be determined.
 
The conference has developed regular season meets for the 2021 indoor track and field season as announced Jan. 26. The conference championships for men's and women's indoor track and field will be held sperately on single days. The UMAC Women's Indoor Championship will take place Saturday, Feb. 27 at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, while the UMAC Men's Indoor Championship will take place Saturday, March 6 at the College of St. Scholastica. Spectators will not be permitted due to facility capacity limits and state and county restrictions. 
 
Why are women’s and men’s basketball not playing doubleheaders this season and instead playing at opposite sites?
The UMAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors supported a recommendation to not host doubleheader competition this season from a perspective of health and safety and in recognition of various state, county and campus restrictions and guidelines. Several UMAC institutions are facing local/county restrictions for facility capacity as well as other stringent measures that would be required in order to host multiple teams on the same day. If these institutions were to host doubleheaders, the gymnasium capacity would be limited to the competing teams only which would present a number of challenges for hosting two games in one day. This could mean a potential gap of four hours between start times of the women’s and men’s games, presenting challenges for institutions related to travel arrangements. The UMAC governance councils felt strongly they should support a schedule model that would allow all institutions to adequately host competition and not create further barriers or challenges for schools to be able to compete this season.
 
Will spectators be allowed at UMAC competition this winter?
Institutions may allow spectators at their own discretion as long as state, county and local guidelines are adhered to. Please find all UMAC institutional spectator policies on our UMAC Institutional Spectator Policies Page.
 
Will there be NCAA Division III Championships for winter and spring sports?
NCAA Division III Championships for winter sports were cancelled on Feb. 3 due to an inadequate number of schools sponsoring winter sports to conduct the championships. Full NCAA release

The 2021 NCAA softball and baseball championship selection dates were moved back one week each providing an opportunity for the UMAC to move its conference tournaments in those respective sports. The UMAC softball tournament will now take place Thursday-Saturday, May 13-15 at the No. 1 seed. The UMAC baseball tournament will now take place Thursday-Satruday, May 20-22 at the No. 1 seed. 
 
How are fall sports and spring sports impacted by the conference decisions?
The UMAC Council of Presidents affirmed its commitment to pursuing conference-governed competitive opportunities for fall sports during the spring segment. Schedules for the sports of volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball were announced Sept. 2 and have not been changed or modified. The UMAC men’s and women’s golf championship has been rescheduled for April 29-May 1.
 
Following extensive discussion among coaches and administrators, the Council of Presidents supported a recommendation to no longer pursue conference-governed competition for men’s and women’s cross country during the 2020-21 academic year.
 
A shift in the NCAA spring championship selection and competition dates prompted the UMAC Council of Athletics Directors to support moving each of the UMAC softball and baseball tournaments by one week. The UMAC softball championship tournament will now take place Thursday-Saturday, May 13-15 at the site of the No. 1 seed. The conference baseball tournament will now be Thursday-Saturday, May 20-22, also at the No. 1 seed. No modifications to tournament structure or format have been made.
 
The UMAC men’s and women’s tennis championship tournaments will move to include all participating teams this year. The men’s quarterfinals will take place Thursday, April 29 while the women’s quarterfinals will be Saturday, May 1. Semifinals will remain as scheduled with men’s matches on Monday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 5 for the women. The men’s championship match is slated for Friday, May 7, and the women’s championship takes place Saturday, May 8.  

No changes tot he UMAC Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships have been made at this time. 
 
How is my NCAA eligibility impacted if my team chooses to compete this year?
On Oct. 28, 2020, the NCAA Division III Presidents Council approved two blanket waivers related to student-athlete eligibility for all sports (fall, winter and spring) for the 2020-21 academic year. The first blanket waiver applies to seasons of participation. Student-athletes who participate in athletics in 2020-21 in any sport will not be charged a season of participation this year. The second waiver extends a student-athlete’s 10-semester/15-quarter enrollment limit for each semester/quarter used during the academic year.
 
Therefore, a student-athlete who competes in any amount of practice or competition in 2020-21 would not use a season or participation or use of semester/quarter on their limit.
 
Additional information related to eligibility and COVID-19 compliance questions can be found in the 2020-21 NCAA Division III COVID-19 Question and Answer Guide. Student-athletes with questions about their eligibility are encouraged to contact their institutional athletics compliance officer.
 
Resources
NCAA Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition, Second Edition Update
NCAA COVID-19 Resource Page
NCAA Division III Compliance Page
UMAC COVID-19 Resource Page