After careful consideration and monitoring of recent trends with the COVID-19 pandemic, Kalamazoo College has announced it is postponing its intercollegiate sports competition for the fall 2020 season.
In a message to student-athletes, President Jorge G. Gonzalez said, "Throughout this pandemic, our highest institutional priority has been the health and well-being of our community. At this time, the risk to the health of our student-athletes, our larger campus and Kalamazoo communities, and our potential competitors and their communities is too great to move forward with intercollegiate competition."
The College's decision was based on the latest COVID-19 data in Michigan, consultation with team doctors and local public health officials, and observation of ongoing challenges experienced by professional leagues and other collegiate conferences attempting to restart or begin seasons.
Although competition has been postponed, K coaching and athletic training staff will be developing workout programs and other team activities that can be conducted safely. A decision on resuming winter and spring 2021 intercollegiate athletic competition will be made later in the fall.
Recognizing the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) also announced today that the President's Council has voted to postpone conference competition and conference tournaments for cross country, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, and volleyball. The Conference will develop schedules for these sports to take place later in the academic year.
Gonzalez said, "As a soccer player and enthusiastic fan of Hornet athletics, I know that our student-athletes, athletics staff, and our many Hornet fans will be saddened and disappointed by the loss of the fall season, as I am. Our hope and intention will be to move fall sports to the spring, an option that other like-minded institutions are also considering."