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Citing low participation numbers among member schools, the NCAA Division III announced that winter championships are canceled this year as the country combats the spread of COVID-19.
The Division III Administrative Committee approved the recommendation from the Division III Championships Committee to cancel all winter championships last week as it continues monitoring winter sports participation at schools.
Sports impacted by the cancelation of winter championships include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s and women’s ice hockey, and wrestling.
The Championships Committee determined participation numbers in all nine winter sports are “well below the established threshold to provide a national championships experience.”
The established thresholds are 60 percent for men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and 70 percent for men’s and women’s ice hockey and wrestling.
“Today, we made the difficult decision to cancel our Division III winter championships,” Fayneese Miller, the chair of the President's Council said in a statement. "While some institutions have been able to safely return to sport, the recent declaration form data show that more than half of our division has not returned to winter sports practice and competition to be in a position for NCAA national championship participation.
“This was a very difficult decision to make, and we are saddened to do so,” Miller added. “However, none of our winter sports meet the Championships Committee’s established thresholds of participation to hold a championship.
“We are committed to ensuring that our student-athletes have the best possible experience, and, for us, this means having a meaningful number of competitions. We hope this is possible for our spring championship.”
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