BLOOMINGTON –Following a recommendation by the NCAA Division III Administrative Committee, the MIAC has announced that it will postpone all athletic competition until January.

The delay in competition will grant institutions, staff and students additional time to adjust to new safety protocols on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic and allow for continued testing and treatment developments.

The MIAC had previously postponed football, volleyball and cross country, which are considered medium- and high-risk sport, to the spring. Monday’s announcement will delay competition in golf and tennis until the second half of their split-season schedules. The MIAC Golf Championships, previously scheduled in October, will be rescheduled for the spring of 2021.

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Basketball, hockey, indoor track and field and swimming and diving competition seasons are planning to begin in January. MIAC winter-sport coaches have begun work on building schedules for a compressed conference season.

All MIAC teams will maintain the institutional autonomy to practice, train, and conduct other athletic-related activities throughout the academic year in accordance with NCAA and campus protocols.

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The MIAC also approved legislation for a five-year eligibility relief package, allowing student-athletes impacted by COVID-19 to plan their academic paths with maximum flexibility. The legislation is effective immediately and will be in place through the 2024-25 academic year. The conference granted a similar exception for graduating seniors impacted by COVID-19 last spring.