NJCAA cancels spring sports, basketball championships

By Adam Kolb / Co-Sports Editor

Following the recent recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the NJCAA has decided to cancel all upcoming basketball championships as well as spring competition.

This means the NJCAA Division men’s basketball tournament, played every year in Hutchinson, will be cancelled.

“In light of the progressive evolvement of the COVID-19 situation, the NJCAA has decided to end all competition for the remainder of the academic year,” said Christopher Parker, NJCAA President and CEO. “As an association, the NJCAA exhausted all possible avenues to potentially postpone competition for both upcoming basketball championships and spring sport competition. We  believe following the recommendations of the CDC is in the best interest of our member colleges and our student-athletes.”

Spring competition will include all practices, regular season, postseason and national-championship play.

Along with the cancellation of competition, all on- and off- campus recruiting for all sports will be halted until April 15, with further evaluation to be set at that point in time.

Also, regarding eligibility for spring sports, no spring sport student-athlete who was enrolled at a member college in 2020 will be charged a year of participation.

The NJCAA will look to expand allowable letters of intent for spring sports for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years, under recommendation of the NJCAA Eligibility Committee. 

The NJCAA will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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