SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga's sports teams will be hitting the field, court, and water a bit later than normal this fall.
The WCC has announced that they will not allow their fall sports teams to compete in athletic competition until September 24 due to coronavirus concerns. This change affects traditional fall sports such as soccer, volleyball, and cross country, and sports that compete in both the fall and spring including tennis, rowing, and golf.
The conference has not ruled out playing non-conference games yet, unlike other larger conferences. According to The Athletic's Dana O'Neil, the hope is for teams to play non-conference games against local opponents still.
Teams can still hold both voluntary and mandatory related activities, such as practice, before the season starts on September 24th.
“While difficult, this is a necessary move to ensure we are providing the safest environment for our programs to compete,” said West Coast Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez in a press release. “We have worked on plans for a variety of circumstances and believe, with our actions guided by information and science, this is the responsible decision at this time. We will continue to evaluate our best path moving forward with the health and safety of everyone involved as the guiding principle of our discussions.”
The decision does not impact the start of the WCC basketball season, which is slated to start Nov. 10.
