Joint Statement from Region III and XV schools

SUNY Community Colleges, that are members of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), have continued collaborative efforts to assess and plan for what we hope will be the safe resumption of spring sports, including traditional fall sports that have been moved to spring, per NJCAA 2021 Sports Guidelines.

Campuses will have the option to either cancel intercollegiate athletics, sponsor Return to Play/Practice (RTP) or Return to Competition (RTC) Plans. RTP Plans offer the option to hold on-campus workouts and training with student-athletes, in a structured and monitored environment, without engaging in competition. Detailed, sport specific RTC Guides have been developed, and while there will be autonomy on each campus for health and safety policies, SUNY CCs will adopt RTC requirements that each member institution will be expected to follow in order to compete. RTC Guides were informed by governing athletic associations, and made to be consistent with CDC, NYS Guidelines, SUNY and local DOH, and institutional recommendations and protocols. 

Each institution’s RTP and/or RTC Plans are dependent on local COVID-19 data, being able to safely resume operations and being approved by their respective local DOH.  NJCAA SUNY Community College decisions will continue to be guided by best practice and cautious adherence to health and safety protocols intended to safeguard the well-being of our student-athletes, staff, campuses, and communities. We commit to ongoing collaborative efforts in support of our student-athletes. 

Statement from Wayne Smith, SUNY Orange Athletic Director

“At this time, SUNY Orange intends to explore ways in which we can return our spring sports of baseball, softball and golf to competition. We hope to be able to provide our student-athletes with the safest and most rewarding athletic experience possible this spring, knowing that our approach will be fluid as we observe state and local trends related to the pandemic and its spread. All of our plans will be developed in accordance with the College’s Spring COVID-19 Response Plan, as well as guidance from SUNY, the NJCAA and our local health department. Men’s soccer, a traditional fall sport that had been previously moved to the spring for this year only, could possibly conduct practices/workouts later in the spring, but will not return to competition until the fall.”