Until then, however, there will be hurdles to overcome.

Scheduling presents the biggest challenge, although a proposed plan of action released by the NJCAA on Monday gives schools guidelines to work with. Soccer teams are allowed to play 14 games from April 2-May 24, volleyball teams are allowed 21 matches (Jan. 29-April 3) and basketball teams will play 22 games (Jan. 22-April 10). In addition, soccer, volleyball and basketball teams all have 60 consecutive calendar days for practices and scrimmages this fall.

The limited number of games – the basketball teams each played more than 30 games last season – actually works out in Casper College’s favor after both Gillette College and Sheridan College cut their athletic programs last month.

“Losing Gillette and Sheridan was going to make it really hard to fill a 30-game schedule,” Casper College women’s head basketball coach Dwight Gunnare said, “so it will now be a little easier to overcome that. We’ll play 10 games for North sub-region seeding purposes and then we’ll have to fill in the other 12 games. Shortening the season couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Other T-Birds coaches also saw benefits to playing shortened seasons.

“This provides our kids academically with the opportunity to really hit the ground running and take advantage of the situation,” men’s head basketball coach Shaun Gutting said. “They can focus on their grades to help them go to Division I.”