UPDATED--State Moves All South Coast Conference Sports Competiton To February, 2021
BREAKING NEWS:
SACRAMENTO - The CCCAA Board of Directors voted on November 6 to continue forward with the Contingency Plan (see link below), which provides the CCCAA a framework for a return to competition this spring, while also providing decision-making guidance for institutions.
CONTINGENCY PLAN CREATED BY CCCAA COVID-19 WORKING GROUP
The Contingency Plan, which was approved in July, moved all 24 of the CCCAA's sports to one of two sessions in the spring with traditional fall sports – as well as men's and women's basketball – participating in the first half and remaining sports competing in the second.
After lengthy discussion, the Board of Directors reaffirmed following the Contingency Plan while also expressing that the plan is only a framework and final decisions to participate in competition will be left to institutions in consultation with their local health authorities. The Board also requested the COVID-19 Work Group determine opt-in/opt-out dates for schools to indicate participation for the spring while understanding that extenuating circumstances may arise that may lead institutions to opt out at later date.
FREE SEASON OF ELIGIBILITY AWARDED FOR ANY STUDENT-ATHLETE IN 2020-2021 SPORTS YEAR
The Board of Directors approved a motion to provide student-athletes a waiver for any CCCAA competition during the 2020-21 athletic year in order to support the success, safety, and well-being of student-athletes.
Original July 10, 2020 release/annoucement below
The CCCAA Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved implementation of its Contingency Plan on July 9, providing a return to intercollegiate athletics for the 2020-21 academic year that moves all sports, including traditional South Coast Conference Fall sports to the Spring season in 2021.
The return to athletics, beginning with official practices on January 18, 2021 and contests to begin February 5, will only occur if it is safe to do so, a decision that will be guided primarily by state and local health guidelines. Each individual college will make its own determination to return to athletics competiton based on those safety measures.
"I know I speak for the entire CCCAA Board that moving Fall athletics to Spring, 2021 is a huge disappointment," said Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Board Chair and Superintendent-President of Pasadena City College. "However, the need to keep our student-athletes and the amazing coaches and athletic trainers who work with them safe was simply the only option available with the (COVID-19) virus spiraling out of control across the state."
SCC-hosted Fall sports will take place then in men's/women's cross country, men's/women's soccer, women's indoor volleyball, and men's/women's water polo. Men's and women's basketball, originally a combination Fall-Spring sport, will also begin its season during the Early Spring.
A reduction of 30 percent of the normal regular season of contests has been approved with conference competition finishing by April 6. Regional playoffs will take place April 10-17 and only conference and regional postseason champions will be crowned. There will be no CCCAA state championships scheduled or competed for the 2020-2021 sports season.
The Late Spring schedule competition begins April 10 (practice starting on March 27) for the traditional South Coast-hosted Spring sports including women's badminton, baseball, beach volleyball, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's tennis and men's and women's track and field. Regional playoffs will occur June 16-23. In all, the abbreviated seasons only push back the usual May finish by one month, allowing for a possible return to normal in 2021-2022.
SCC Commissioner Rich Kollen said, "By going with the Contingency Plan, now all of our sports teams will get to compete once again for SCC titles as part of the 2020-2021 season. In a tough time for all of us in athletics, delaying the sports season until early next year is a far better outcome than the alternative of canceling an entire year of sports competition altogether. Health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, and staff has to come first."
SOUTH COAST MOVES 187 STUDENT-ATHLETES VIA 4-YEAR UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS
This year, the SCC transferred 187 student-athletes via playing scholarships to 4-year universities. Conference member Mt. San Antonio College was once again the top college in sports supremacy among all California Community Colleges and western region schools by winning the 2020 Daktronics Cup title.
The SCC consists of Cerritos, Compton, East Los Angeles, El Camino, Los Angeles City, LA Harbor, LA Southwest, LA Trade Tech, Long Beach City, Mt. San Antonio, Pasadena City, and Rio Hondo Colleges. The conference was founded in 1967.