COVID-19 Impact - Millsaps College 2020 Fall Semester FAQ

On July 16, the Southern Athletic Association and Millsaps College announced the suspension of athletic competition through the 2020 fall semester. Below are answers to anticipated questions and concerns.

This page will be constantly updated as new information is made available.

What sports will be able to compete during the fall semester?
In conjunction with SAA Presidential action, Millsaps will not have any outside competition in any sports during the 2020 fall semester due to college policies regarding travel and a restriction of visitors on campus. This includes conference as well as non-conference competition.

Will our fall and winter sports compete at all in 2020-21?
Currently, there will be no outside athletic competitions for any program at least through the 2020 fall semester. We will continue to work with the College administration, the Southern Athletic Association, and the NCAA to consider possible options for outside competition for fall/winter sports in the spring semester.

When will students know if winter and spring sports are happening?
We know that there will not be any outside athletic competition at least through the 2020 fall semester. No decisions regarding competition beyond that have been made at this time. We will continue to work with the Southern Athletic Association, College administration, and the NCAA to consider options for competition during the spring semester.

As soon as decisions are made those will be communicated to our entire Millsaps Majors family immediately.

Will our fall and winter season teams be able to compete during the spring term?
While there will be no outside competition allowed during the fall term, consistent with federal and state public health authorities, the NCAA, and institutional guidelines, intrasquad competition and practices will be held and administered based on the NCAA Bylaws, Article 17.

We are investigating opportunities with the NCAA to shift our competitive season for fall sports to the spring term. There are many factors that will affect the feasibility of doing so, but we are planning for meaningful outside competitive opportunities for our fall teams during the spring term.

What impact would only being able to practice or play a limited number of games have on my eligibility with the NCAA?
Under NCAA rules, students will not use a season of eligibility if their team does not compete during the traditional sport season. On July 9, the NCAA issued a blanket waiver providing guidance regarding eligibility concerns for teams who play a limited number of contests, or whose seasons end prematurely. The blanket waiver states that student-athletes will not be charged with participation for 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 ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCAA also approved a second blanket waiver which permits student-athletes to receive a two-semester/three-quarter extension of eligibility if the student-athlete is unable to participate in their sport during the 2020-21 academic year due to the impact of COVID-19 or if the student-athlete's team completed 50% or less of the sport's maximum contests/dates of competition due to COVID-19. For more information on these blanket waivers, please see the NCAA Press Release.

What does “return to play” or the resocialization of sport look like in the fall?
Our College administration is meeting weekly to outline safe and responsible “return to play” guidelines.

Has the NCAA announced any changes to the 2020-21 sports seasons?
On August 5, the NCAA Division III President's Council made the decision, with the health and safety of the division’s student-athletes, coaches, athletics administrators and communities as its priority, to cancel all NCAA Division III fall championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related administrative and financial challenges.

NCAA Press Release

NCAA CoVID-19 Hotline Information
The NCAA has established a phone number and email to allow college athletes, parents or others to report potential return-to-sport concerns. If you are aware of concerns regarding implementation of the NCAA’s Return to Sport guidelines, please call toll free 833-661-CV19 (2819) or email covidconcerns@ncaa.org with the name of the NCAA member institution, sport and brief summary of the concern.

Will student-athletes have access to the services and support such as athletic training and strength and conditioning?
Yes.

Schedule Your Athletic Training Room Appointment Online

For additional information please visit the Millsaps College Coronavirus Resources Website.

Updated 09.23.20