In-conference play in the NESCAC will resume in mid-April — roughly 13 months after competition was paused due to Covid-19 — the league’s presidents announced on Tuesday afternoon.
“While we will not be able to conduct athletics seasons as usual at Middlebury, we do plan to organize practices and limited competitive games with regional opponents,” an all-school email sent to students on Tuesday read. “NESCAC is currently developing schedules that are regional and limited in nature, and they will be released later in March.”
Each institution will make their own determination regarding participation, according to a press release, but competition will only commence if at least six NESCAC teams agree to play. Schedules will be limited to regional opponents and will span from mid-April to mid-May.
Competition will look different, with “special Covid-19-related protocols” set to be in place. An announcement from the college says that the protocols for competition have been developed in consultation with the medical and Covid-19 operations teams and the NESCAC Athletic Directors, and that they will meet or exceed state and CDC guidelines.
When asked if this decision was expected, Jordyn Johnson ’23, a member of women’s softball, said she had “no idea.”
“I prepare for the worst these days,” she said.
Johnson says the team convened as soon as the news broke on Tuesday afternoon. At the meeting, head softball coach Kelly Bevere ’99 stressed that her players should remain vigilant in taking all the necessary health precautions. If someone on the squad tests positive, the entire team will have to quarantine, a scenario that would jeopardize their season.
“Everyone is excited,” Johnson said. “Right after the decision, I was like ‘I need to go hit.’ So I went and hit for 45 minutes, and I got a blister. That’s how you know you haven’t hit in a while.”
For some squads, putting a team into play this spring might present a challenge. The women’s lacrosse team, for instance, only has four members on campus, possibly forcing an opt-out. A similar dilemma faces the men’s lacrosse team, which only has around six members on campus. Other programs have limited numbers on campus, too, like men’s baseball.
Information will continue to roll out in the next few weeks as the NESCAC clarifies scheduling and specific procedures.
In-conference play in the NESCAC will resume in mid-April — roughly 13 months after competition was paused due to Covid-19 — the league’s presidents announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Blaise Siefer ‘23.5 is a sports staff writer.
Siefer is majoring in Sociology and minoring in Spanish.
For three semesters in 2021 and 2022, Siefer served as Senior Sports Editor. He also co-founded a Middlebury sports recap podcast, PFL Weekly, which is released on all major streaming platforms every Tuesday.
Siefer is also the Co-Founder and Co-President of Middlebury Club Soccer.
