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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jonathan Hower, Director of Media Relations (717-339-7982)

MAC Suspends NCAA Competition for Fall 2020

The conference is committed to providing meaningful engagement opportunities for student-athletes and alternatives for fall sports in the spring

ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – After careful consideration of internal and external circumstances and with the health and well-being of each campus and community in mind, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Presidents made the difficult decision to suspend all intercollegiate athletics competition through the fall semester in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MAC Presidents are well aware of the important role athletics plays in the lives of student-athletes and are committed to exploring creative approaches and alternatives that will provide future competitive experiences for fall sport student-athletes in the spring semester as circumstances allow.

The MAC presidents, athletics directors and the MAC COVID-19 Advisory Group will continue to evaluate the athletics landscape throughout the 2020-21 academic year to address:

• Engaging fall, winter and spring sport student-athletes in the fall term with coaches following all institutional, local and national health and safety guidelines • Shifting fall sport competitive seasons to the spring, insofar as possible • Scheduling winter sports competition beginning in 2021 • Implementing league-wide and campus safety measures for practices and competitions when they do occur • Developing league-wide and institutional personal and professional development programming

“This decision was very difficult, as we know how deep the love of the game is for our student-athletes and that intercollegiate events are an important part of campus life for our entire community,” said Dr. Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Chair of MAC President’s Council and President. “However, we are confident that our coaches and athletic staff will work with the students to build an engaging athletic experience for our student-athletes while mitigating the risk of COVID-19.”

General questions will be addressed through an FAQ document available here.

Questions about the MAC’s response not addressed in the FAQs can be directed to [email protected].

ABOUT THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE Located in Annville, Pa., the Middle Atlantic Conference is an NCAA Division III conference comprised of the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth (MAC Commonwealth) and Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom).

Its 18 member institutions, located across three states, are: (Reading, Pa.), Alvernia (Reading, Pa.), (Glenside, Pa.), Valley University (Doylestown, Pa.), DeSales University (Center Valley, Pa.), Eastern University (St. Davids, Pa.), Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus (Madison, N.J.), Hood College (Frederick, Md.), King's College (Wilkes- Barre, Pa.), (Annville, Pa.), (Williamsport, Pa.), (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), (Dallas, Pa.), Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, N.J.), (Owings Mills, Md.), (Chester, Pa.) and (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.), and York College of (York, Pa.).

The MAC currently sponsors 27 intercollegiate sports that compete in the NCAA Division III. More than 7,000 student-athletes participate in baseball, men's and women's , men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's , men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's , men's and women's outdoor track & field, , men's and women's soccer, men's and women's , men's and women's , men's and women's and wrestling.