WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Following meticulous and deliberate discussions over the past weeks and months, the Northeast-10 Conference has announced its decision to suspend all competition for the fall season.

The Council of Presidents of the Northeast-10 Conference voted unanimously on Thursday, July 16, to suspend all NE10-sponsored competition and championships through December 31 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NE10 considers the health and safety of its student-athletes, coaches, administrators, staff and wider campus communities to be of paramount importance. Despite each institutions' planning over the past few months and the Conference's collective efforts to forge a path forward, it has become clear that we are not able to conduct outside competition at this time in a manner that is consistent with the prioritization of our campus' collective well-being.

The NE10 and its member institutions are striving to ensure a meaningful regular season and conference championship experience for its fall sport student-athletes during the Spring 2021 semester,  as long as a return to competition can be safely executed. Initial plans for spring competition fall sports will be provided at a later date.

The NE10 will also endeavor to provide a regular season schedule and/or conference championship experience for its winter sport student-athletes during the spring 2021 semester, with the intention of aligning with appropriate NCAA selection criteria and dates, as long as a return to competition can be safely executed.

To best support a meaningful but safe student-athlete experience during the fall semester, team activities, practice and training opportunities will be determined and defined by each member institution and shall adhere to NCAA policies and state public health regulations.

NE10 institutions are unanimously committed to honoring athletics aid agreements that have been issued to student-athletes for 2020-21 in accordance to the terms and conditions laid out in those agreements.

Council of Presidents Statement

"The Northeast-10 Conference Council of Presidents is united in its commitment to supporting local and state efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. Campus resocialization guidelines – including restrictions on student and staff travel, social distancing requirements and limits on group gatherings, are being undertaken so that campuses can support in-person engagement and education. Aiding our member campuses in their reopening efforts is critical and while athletics is an integral part of campus life, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our NE10 community, including our student-athletes, staff and our towns and cities. As such, we have made the difficult decision that intercollegiate athletics competition has been suspended through December 31. We will strive to create meaningful competitive opportunities for our fall sports during the 2020-21 academic year, if it is deemed safe. We do not take this decision lightly and understand its impact. Our campus communities will do everything we can to support the well-being of our student-athletes this fall as we navigate these uncertain times together."

NE10 Council of Presidents

Christine Riordan, Adelphi University

Vince Maniaci, American International College

Francesco Cesareo, Assumption University

Paul Condrin, Bentley University

Kim Mooney, Franklin Pierce University

Linda LeMura, Le Moyne College

Steve Kaplan, University of New Haven

Marvin Krislov, Pace University

Joe Favazza, Saint Anselm College

Lorraine Sterritt, Saint Michael's College

Marcia White, The College of Saint Rose

Joe Bertolino, Southern Connecticut State University

Wil Zemp, Southern New Hampshire University

John Denning, Stonehill College 

"The decision to suspend our fall season was certainly not made lightly," said Director of Athletics Sheahon Zenger. "I assure you that our coaches, administrators, and myself, advocated strongly to play this upcoming season. However, the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and community is our foremost priority.

The prospect of not having competitions on campus this fall is certainly dim as our game days on North Campus and at Zolad Stadium fill the university with life and energy. We are committed to providing an opportunity for student-athletes to compete in the safest manner possible and will continue to monitor the situation closely."

What does this mean for the University of New Haven?

·         All University of New Haven fall athletic teams (football, women's volleyball, men's & women's soccer, field hockey, women's tennis and men's & women's cross country) will not participate in championship or non-championship competition during the fall term.

·         Fall athletic teams will have the opportunity to train and practice following all social distancing guidelines established by the University of New Haven, the NCAA and the State of Connecticut.

·         No decision has been made regarding the rescheduling of fall sports to the spring semester, however it is one of several possibilities being explored.

·         No decision regarding winter and spring sport competition has been made. Those decisions will likely come later this summer or early fall as we continue to monitor the spread of the virus.

Continue to monitor NewHavenChargers.com and @UNHChargers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.