Three hundred and fifty days since the last sporting event at Oswego State, a men’s lacrosse game against Clarkson University, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced on Feb. 23 that spring sports are coming back to the SUNYAC.
If the positivity rates and total cases stay low, competition for baseball, softball, lacrosse, women’s tennis, and track and field will begin on March 20, with practices “starting shortly, if not immediately,” SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley said.
“Today, I’m happy to announce that … we will resume athletic competition for the SUNYAC, which is great,” Malatras said. “We’re going to be focusing on immediate, low-risk sports. … It’s great to have that competition to come back.”
On top of the aggressive testing policies already instituted by SUNY, which includes weeking testing of students, the SUNYAC will be split into eastern and western divisions in order to limit travel and overnight stays.
The dividing line for the two divisions is essentially Interstate 81, which goes north to south in the middle of the state. For all four sports that Oswego State hosts, it will be in the western division.
In baseball, the Lakers will play SUNY Fredonia and Brockport State.
For softball and women’s lacrosse, Oswego State will take on SUNY Fredonia, Buffalo State, Brockport State and Geneseo.
In men’s lacrosse, the opposition will be Brockport State, SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Cortland.
Malatras added that the conference is trying to limit out-of-state travel, but will be looking into opportunities for out-of-conference play.
Student-athletes will be tested three days before competitions, as well, to “better monitor” the situation and avoid unknown spreadings of COVID-19. There will be limited capacity on busses along with no eating and mandatory mask-wearing.
Student-athletes must wear a mask at all times, except when “they’re in the middle of competitive play,” Malatras said. Coaches and support staff will have masks on at all times, as well.
No group celebrations will be allowed during games, nor will there be any pre-game or post-game meetings between the two teams, such as handshakes.
For now, spectators will not be allowed at games inline with the New York state policy. That policy could change as time goes on, according to Malatras. SUNYAC Commissioner Tom DiCamillo also said that the media will be on the list of approved people to attend athletic contests.
“Quite frankly, I want to go see some athletic competition, especially with my son,” Malatras said. “I’m hopeful with these protocols in place, we will be able to resume [athletics] in an effective manner.”
DiCamillo said the conference also has full intentions to have post-season play. Since all teams are within New York, avoiding the out-of-state travel, is a positive, he said.
DiCamillo broke down every sport following the press conference. For softball and women’s lacrosse, which have 10 teams each, with five in each division. The top two teams from both divisions will be in the championships. With men’s lacrosse only supporting eight teams, it will still be the top two teams from each division, but SUNY Cortland will be in the west division.
The playoffs will be a crossover. In the first round, it will be the No. 1 team vs. the No. 2 team from the opposing division.
The commissioner said baseball is “the unique one,” with seven teams — three in the west and four in the east. For the baseball championships, it will be the division winners plus the two next best teams in the entire SUNYAC.
Baseball and softball will both be best-of-three series in the playoffs.
DiCamillo added that there is no official track and field schedule, but there will be a SUNYAC Championship meet at SUNY Cortland for the postseason.
In softball and women’s lacrosse, if the seeds are tied in the championship game, the eastern region will host. For men’s lacrosse, it’s the west. Baseball is different because of the multitude of scenarios with the different playoff seedings.
“Let’s say the two No. 1’s advance, or the two No. 2’s do, there’s a formula in place looking back the last five years between the east and west [to determine the championship location],” DiCamillo said.
Fielding questions about COVID-19 concerns, Malatras said there is no plan to cancel the entire season if there is a rise in positivity rates or positive cases. He added that games may have to be postponed or teams may have to pause.
The SUNYAC will have to adapt, Malatras said, since there is no way to plan the uncertainties that may come with sports.
“Our obligation is to protect our student-athletes’ health first,” Malatras said. “To stop the [potential] transmission, we’ll cancel those games and do those types of things needed. We hope we do that in a limited way opposed to pausing the season in its entirety.”
Photo by Ben Grieco | The Oswegonian
