Department of Athletics and Physical Education March 1st, 2021 Guiding Principles for A Return to Competition • The health, safety, and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and all members of the Vassar community has been and will be at the forefront of our planning at all times. • Our work continues to be informed by appropriate governing bodies (governmental and sport) as well as science and public health guidelines. • Our work continues to be coordinated with and informed by our colleagues in the Liberty League and our other conference affiliations (UVC, NEIFC, etc.) Guidelines/Resources for COVID Safety • Center for Disease Control (CDC) • NCAA Sports Science Institute • State Governor’s Office • Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) • Dutchess County Department of Health • National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) • American College Health Association (ACHA) Key Factors/Timeline in Decision-Making Process • COVID Infection Rates and Trends • Impact on Campus Community and Closed Campus Model • Equity – having a policy/practice in place for all students • Determining/implementing Vassar risk mitigation strategies for competition • Determining/implementing shared expectations with other institutions for competition • The Liberty League is locked into a 3/1 decision timeline. Vassar will make our decision on that timeline as well; but are not bound to the play/not play decision from the conference. COVID Infection Rates and Trends – United States COVID Infection Rates and Trends – New York State COVID Infection Rates and Trends – New York State by County

NYS Percentage Positive Results By County Dashboard (7-day rolling average) https://forward.ny.gov/percentage-positive-results-county-dashboard

County 9/1/2020 11/9/2020 1/2/2021 2/7/2021 2/28/2021 Dutchess (BRD, VAS) 0.7% 2.0% 8.1% 4.6% 4.0% Monroe (ROC, RIT) 0.5% 3.9% 9.8% 2.7% 1.8% Ontario (HWS) 0.5% 2.8% 11.0% 3.1% 2.2% Rensselaer (RPI) 0.7% 0.9% 10.8% 2.4% 1.4% Saratoga (SKD) 0.4% 1.2% 10.8% 3.0% 2.8% St. Lawrence (CLK, SLU) 0.4% 1.0% 10.3% 4.0% 2.2% Schenectady (UNI) 1.4% 1.5% 10.7% 3.3% 1.9% Tompkins (ITH) 0.4% 0.1% 1.1% 0.3% 0.1% NYS 0.8% 2.2% 7.8% 4.4% 3.1%

9/1/20 = Start of Fall Term 11/9/20 = Liberty League Decision on Winter Sports Additional Covid Trends/Research • Risk of transmission through sport • NFL and NCAA data are showing transmission is not occurring during competition • NFL transmission = “greeting, eating, and meeting” • Rugby study in British Journal of Sports Medicine • “Despite tackle involvements and close proximity interactions with SARS-CoV-2 positive players, in-match SARS-CoV-2 transmission was not confirmed.” Sources: https://www.nfl.com/playerhealthandsafety/resources/press-releases/cdc-publishes-scientific-paper-jointly-authored-with-the- nfl-on-covid-19-lessons https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7004e2.htm?s_cid=mm7004e2_w https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/02/10/bjsports-2020-103714 Additional Sport Updates (as of 2/26/21) • New York State • Six of eleven Liberty League and four of eight United Conference institutions have begun competition or publicly announced an intent to compete • Empire-8 and SUNYAC have announced their intention to compete • High transmission risk high school sports in NYS are competing • Other Division III Institutions • 13 Division III conferences moving head; 2 opted out (UAA, CUNYAC) • NESCAC – no formal announcement yet • Swarthmore, NYU, MIT, Wellesley, and Oberlin have announced they will not have spring competition. Liberty League Announcement (1 of 2)

• Per a vote by Liberty League Presidents on March 1st, all Liberty League member institutions are in support of Liberty League competition and championships for spring sports, including , , , Rowing, , and Track & Field.

• Any Liberty League institution that engages in competition with other league members commits to: • Adhering to all Liberty League Return-to-Play Protocols/Standards including COVID-19 testing and attestation (this may extend to enhanced testing of visiting athletes and coaches); • Visiting teams agree to adhere to the protocols of the host institution if they exceed the Liberty League Return-to-Play Protocols/Standards. Liberty League Announcement (2 of 2)

• Individual institutions retain autonomy in determining whether or not they will engage in league competition on an institutional and sport-by-sport basis.

• There will not be a deadline to declare intent to participate or a minimum number of required contests for each school to be permitted to participate in Liberty League competition; this allowance is to support institutions that are not in a position to make a decision on league competition by March 1 or to begin participating by the March 26 start date. • While there are no minimum contest requirements, institutions must meet NCAA minimum contest standards in order to participate in Liberty League and NCAA team championships. Other Relevant Conference Affiliations • An announcement from the UVC will be forthcoming.

• The Tri-State Rugby Conference will not sanction any championship events this spring and will defer to institutional autonomy for competition opportunities. Announcement

• Vassar College will announce at 5 pm today that we will allow pre-approved supervised off-campus student travel, including athletic competition. The new guidelines will go into effect not earlier than March 22 and only if conditions permit. • In addition to varsity Athletics, the new policy will permit off-campus travel for pre-approved, supervised activities such as: • Field research • Participation in local volunteer efforts • Visits to local cultural sites • Trips to local parks and natural areas for recreation and fitness • Historic walking tours of Poughkeepsie or other nearby cities and sites • Club sports competition What does this mean for Vassar teams? Next Steps for Vassar Teams

• Each team will meet together with coaches to determine whether or not to engage in competition • The decision to opt in or opt out can occur at three levels: • Team • Individual student • Individual coach (if a coach opts out, the department will pursue other options to support competition for a team that wishes to proceed) • Any decision to opt out will not impact any individual’s standing with the team or the department Vassar Competition Guidelines* (Highlights – 1 of 4) • Masking Policy • Masking required at all times during competition • Travel/Transportation • No overnight trips • Day trips limited to four hour driving radius • Social distancing on bus • All parties on the bus must be masked at all times • All meals are grab and go; no indoor dining permitted • No eating on the bus; consider permitting snacks that can be eaten with a mask on? • Use water bottles with straws to avoid removing mask while drinking on the bus • Testing of bus driver prior to departure • No Spectators Permitted

*Pending final feedback from Dutchess Country Department of Behavioral and Community Health. Vassar Competition Guidelines* (Highlights – 2 of 4)

NCAA Risk Category Vassar Teams Testing – Practices Testing – Competition

Low Cross-Country, Fencing, Golf, Bi-weekly PCR testing from Antigen test within one day prior to Swim & Dive, Tennis, Track & the college is adequate. Keep competition. Field 999 schedule.

Intermediate Baseball, , Bi-weekly PCR testing from Antigen test within one day prior to Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, the college is adequate. Keep competition. Volleyball 999 schedule.

High – Outdoor Rugby Weekly PCR testing on same Antigen test within one day prior to day each week. competition. High – Indoor , Squash Weekly PCR testing on same Antigen testing three times per week day each week. on non-consecutive days

Source: Adapted from https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/ssi/COVID/SSI_ResocializationDevelopingStandardsSecondEdition.pdf

*Pending final feedback from Dutchess Country Department of Behavioral and Community Health. Vassar Competition Guidelines* (Highlights – 3 of 4)

Contest Cancellations/Shutdown Criteria • All positive tests will be contact traced by Vassar Health Services in cooperation with Dutchess County and may result in a decrease or pause in athletically-related activities. Any positive result on the pre-competition antigen test will result in an automatic cancellation of the subsequent contest. The epidemiology of a positive test will determine whether or not a more comprehensive review and/or further action is warranted; this review will consider reducing or pausing on-campus athletically-related activities, competition, and/or off-campus travel. • In additional to positive tests within the athletics population, general conditions on campus and/or within the local community may also cause the college to reduce or pause athletically- related activities, competition, and/or off-campus travel. Campus conditions that bear consideration include but are not limited to the number of active cases on campus, the availability/occupancy of quarantine and isolation rooms, and the ability of the college to stay well within prescribed guidelines from the state of New York for closure.

*Pending final feedback from Dutchess Country Department of Behavioral and Community Health. Vassar Competition Guidelines* (Highlights – 4 of 4) • Priority will be placed on spring sports due to cancellation of 2020 season • Game schedules will prioritize Liberty League competition • Any non-conference opponents (if permitted) must adhere to Liberty League shared standards • Schedules will be based on NCAA minimums • Baseball = 13 Games (7 DOC) • Volleyball = 9 Games (5 DOC) • Lacrosse/Tennis = 5 • Golf/Track = 3 • Rugby/Rowing = TBD • Opportunities for fall and winter teams will be limited

*Pending final feedback from Dutchess Country Department of Behavioral and Community Health. Liberty League Shared Standards (Highlights – 1 of 2)

• Testing Policy • Follow NCAA recommendations for surveillance testing • Require all student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and game management staff to have a PCR test within three days of competition or antigen/rapid PCR test within one day of competition. • Masking Policy • Masking at all times except during competition, unless one institution requires masking during competition. In that case, both institutions will mask during competition. • REMINDER: Vassar will mask during competitions, which will require our opponents to do the same. Liberty League Shared Standards (Highlights – 2 of 2)

• Contact Tracing • Positive test results of any individual who came into close contact with any member(s) of any opposing team(s) played during the preceding 48 hours must be shared as quickly as possible and not later than 24 hours following receipt of the test result, to any such opponent(s). The infected individual’s role (e.g., goalie, assistant coach, athletics trainer) and a summary of their interactions with the opposing team must be included in the information; however, unless authorized by the individual or otherwise required by law, the individual’s name may not be disclosed. The medical designee of the school of the infected individual will share this information with the prior opponent’s medical designee.

Contest Cancellation • In the event a participant (athlete, coach, athletic trainer or other Tier 1 personnel) becomes symptomatic immediately prior to or during a contest, the contest will be cancelled, and appropriate isolation and quarantine measures will begin.

• Other factors that may impact contest cancellation are the positivity rate on campus or in the community and the quarantine capacity on campus. This will be determined by each institution’s Health and Safety Advisory Committee on a case-by-case basis. Additional Items to Consider for Individual/Team Decisions • Personal risk tolerance/health considerations • Stop/start nature of play if games/events must be paused or cancelled due to positive cases • Responsibility to teammates, coaches, department staff and the broader campus community to adhere to safety guidelines Questions?