In a letter to students and families, Athletic Director Todd Fairlie shared that the Inter-Ac League has suspended all competitions for fall teams. The unanimous decision was made by the Directors of Athletics and Heads of School.
"In the interest of student health and safety, the Inter-Ac League has made the difficult decision to delay fall interscholastic competitions," wrote Coach Fairlie. "Please know that we all share in your disappointment about the delay of competitions, however, we remain committed to working with all of our student-athletes this fall to prepare for the time when we can resume competitive play."
Plans are underway for virtual and some optional on-campus strength and conditioning and practices.
Inter-Ac League Statement
The members of the Inter-Academic Athletics League continue to focus on plans for the 2020-21 academic year with the safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and their communities the primary concern. In response to the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Directors of Athletics and Heads of School have been meeting diligently to address opening our schools safely, as well as the safety and well-being of our communities. Athletics engagement is an important part of the experience for many of our students, and member institutions remain committed to this experience. However, the Heads of School and Directors of Athletics have unanimously decided to suspend any inter-scholastic competition through December 31, 2020. This decision was made given the unprecedented health concerns we face in our community and in consideration with Gov. Wolf's strong recommendation, as well as updated policy recommendations from CHOP PolicyLab.
Additionally, member schools may maintain conditioning, skill development and sport practices from September 14 through November 20 in accordance with Gov. Wolf's guidelines and CHOP PolicyLab requirements.
Should conditions permit, the League intends to hold three 7-week seasons for our student-athletes in the new year. Traditional fall, winter and spring sports may be moved due to health concerns, facility availability or weather conditions. Additional information regarding these seasons will be available shortly.
The Inter-Academic Athletic League members are deeply aware of the importance of athletics to our student-athletes and communities. This difficult decision was not made lightly, and every effort was made to maintain our fall athletic season. We are deeply saddened that this was not possible.