St. Thomas Aquinas

The St. Thomas Aquinas College Department of Athletics would like to provide an update regarding sports competition for the upcoming 2020 Fall Semester.

We will be updating this page regularly if any other announcements are made, so we ask that you please check back here, and on Social Media (Twitter: @STACSpartans) for additional news.

Student-athletes with questions or concerns should reach out to their individual sport coaches or the STAC Athletic Department Administrative Staff.

Statement from Director of Athletics Nicole Ryan

The ECC and Northeast-10 conferences, along with the Collegiate Sprint Football League, Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference and USA Triathlon announced the suspension of intercollegiate competition for the fall 2020 semester due to health and safety concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. This is heartbreaking news on many levels for our staff and student-athletes. We recognize the impact this decision will have on our athletic community and are in the process of developing a plan to further ensure the academic and athletic success of our student-athletes. While competitions have been canceled, we are committed to providing opportunities for safe practice and training sessions in accordance with state, local and NCAA recommendations. Further information will be shared in the coming weeks. Once safe to do so, I look forward to watching all of our Spartans return to the playing fields and proudly represent St. Thomas Aquinas College."

(STAC Sports Impacted: Cross Country, Women's Soccer, Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball, Men's Basketball, Indoor Track & Field and Women's Bowling)

West Babylon, N.Y. - The East Coast Conference Council of Presidents has unanimously voted to suspend all intercollegiate competition during the fall 2020 semester due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

The ECC is committed to providing meaningful seasons of competition for all impacted teams and their student-athletes during the spring semester with plans to begin competition after January 1, 2021. 

The ECC Council of Presidents issued the following statement: “In the best tradition of NCAA Division II, the presidents of the East Coast Conference always make the health and safety of our student-athletes our highest priority, and this is why we unanimously chose to make this unprecedented change in this year’s schedule.”

ECC Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff added, ”Along with many of our colleagues in intercollegiate athletics, after a great deal of consideration and discussion with our presidents and athletic leadership, we find ourselves having to make this very difficult decision of suspending fall 2020 sports competition. Challenging times like the COVID-19 Pandemic bring with them challenging decisions and we must focus on protecting the health and welfare of student-athletes and all those who support them on our campuses.”

Dranoff continued, “While there may not be athletic competition in the fall, we will continue our efforts to plan for Winter and Spring sports and support our institutions in providing the best possible experience for all student-athletes.” 

Affected by the decision are the conference’s fall sports of men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball. The sport of women’s tennis had previously been moved to the spring season in a vote by the league’s athletic directors last month.

Efforts to plan schedules and championship opportunities for fall sports will begin at once.

The conference’s winter sports — men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, and women’s bowling — are also affected by the decision as the sports will not start their season of competition until the beginning of 2021. Conference championship dates for the winter sports will remain intact.

In addition, training, workout, and practice activities during the fall semester will be left to the discretion of each institution based on facilities, staffing, and in accordance with school, local, and state regulations.

Official East Coast Conference Press Release

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(STAC Sport Impacted: Women's Field Hockey)

NE10 SUSPENDS CONFERENCE-SPONSORED COMPETITION FOR FALL SEMESTER

Decision Impacts Fall and Winter Sports Competition

NE10 Press Release – July 16, 2020

MANSFIELD, Mass. - The Council of Presidents of the Northeast-10 Conference voted unanimously on Thursday, July 16, to suspend all NE10-sponsored competition and championships through December 31 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NE10 considers the health and safety of its student-athletes, coaches, administrators, staff and wider campus communities to be of paramount importance. Despite each institutions' planning over the past few months and the Conference's collective efforts to forge a path forward, it has become clear that we are not able to conduct outside competition at this time in a manner that is consistent with the prioritization of our campus' collective well-being.

The NE10 and its member institutions are striving to ensure a meaningful regular season and conference championship experience for its fall sport student-athletes during the Spring 2021 semester,  as long as a return to competition can be safely executed. Initial plans for spring competition fall sports will be provided at a later date.

The NE10 will also endeavor to provide a regular season schedule and/or conference championship experience for its winter sport student-athletes during the spring 2021 semester, with the intention of aligning with appropriate NCAA selection criteria and dates, as long as a return to competition can be safely executed.

To best support a meaningful but safe student-athlete experience during the fall semester, team activities, practice and training opportunities will be determined and defined by each member institution and shall adhere to NCAA policies and state public health regulations.

NE10 institutions are unanimously committed to honoring athletics aid agreements that have been issued to student-athletes for 2020-21 in accordance to the terms and conditions laid out in those agreements.

Council of Presidents Statement
"The Northeast-10 Conference Council of Presidents is united in its commitment to supporting local and state efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. Campus resocialization guidelines – including restrictions on student and staff travel, social distancing requirements and limits on group gatherings, are being undertaken so that campuses can support in-person engagement and education. Aiding our member campuses in their reopening efforts is critical and while athletics is an integral part of campus life, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our NE10 community, including our student-athletes, staff and our towns and cities. As such, we have made the difficult decision that intercollegiate athletics competition has been suspended through the end of the 2020 fall semester. We are committed to exploring alternate playing seasons for our fall sports during the 2020-21 academic year, if it is deemed safe. We do not take this decision lightly and understand its impact. Our campus communities will do everything we can to support the well-being of our student-athletes this fall as we navigate these uncertain times together."

NE10 Council of Presidents
Christine Riordan, Adelphi University
Vince Maniaci, American International College
Francesco Cesareo, Assumption University
Paul Condrin, Bentley University
Kim Mooney, Franklin Pierce University
Linda LeMura, Le Moyne College
Steve Kaplan, University of New Haven
Marvin Krislov, Pace University
Joe Favazza, Saint Anselm College
Lorraine Sterritt, Saint Michael's College
Marcia White, The College of Saint Rose
Joe Bertolino, Southern Connecticut State University
Wil Zemp, Southern New Hampshire University
John Denning, Stonehill College

Student-athletes will follow local campus policies regarding return to campus and in-person learning.

Official Northeast 10 Conference Press Release

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 (STAC Sport Impacted: Sprint Football)

CSFL ANNOUNCEMENT ON 2020 SEASON

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (July 17, 2020) -- The Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) on Friday announced that the 2020 fall season will not occur due to safety concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was made following a vote this week of the 10 CSFL member institutions. The vote followed lengthy conversations with key stakeholders throughout the league.

The CSFL is committed to providing a meaningful season of intercollegiate competition for all impacted student-athletes, as a move to the spring has been discussed with more details to be released at a later date.

The CSFL on Friday also announced the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy may explore competitive opportunities against each other during the fall as considered appropriate by the Superintendents of both institutions. The decision was made for the two schools to explore the opportunity due to their unique mission in higher education.

“Administrators and coaches of the CSFL have had lengthy conversations that led to today’s announcement,” CSFL Commissioner Dan Mara said. “While we would very much like to be playing this fall, the CSFL believes this is the best decision for the safety and welfare of our student-athletes. Conversations will be ongoing in regards to the structure of a spring season, and how coaches and student-athletes can engage through conditioning and practices during the fall months. Once decisions have been made on those items, and other topics, the CSFL will make an announcement so that all parties can plan accordingly.”

Official Collegiate Sprint Football League Press Release

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