Photo Courtesy Canada West
first term competitions cancelled

Canada West cancels 2020-21 first term competitions

Jun 8, 2020 | 11:46 AM

EDMONTON—University sport will look very different this fall.

Canada West announced this morning (June 8) that no conference competition (regular season, playoff, or championships) will occur in football, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s rugby 15s, and women’s field hockey during the first term of the 2020-21 season.

“The challenging nature of today’s announcement can’t be understated. As a former student-athlete and coach I feel deeply for everyone who won’t be able to experience the joys of university competition this fall.”— Clint Hamilton, CW president and University of Victoria athletic director

The decision to cancel is rooted from the on-going COVID-19 situation, and was ratified unanimously though a vote of Canada West’s 17 member universities on Friday.

A release by Canada West says that no two-term sports such as hockey, volleyball or basketball will commence prior to January 2021—a decision on if they will be able to start in January will be made later this year. Student-athletes in sports without U Sports national championships this season will not be charged eligibility and will remain eligible for athletic financial aid.

Decision on championships in golf, cross country, and swimming will be made on July 15th.

Canada West says that whether second term competitions such as wrestling, track and field, curling and women’s rugby 7’s go will be decided on October 8th, along with the two-term sports.

Canada West’s announcement comes on the same say as both Atlantic University Sport and Ontario University Athletics announced their own first-term cancellations.