South Coast Conference Traditional Fall Sports Canceled For 2020-2021
Traditional spring sports are still on the schedule, with deadline set to opt out.
Courtesy of the South Coast Conference
South Coast Conference Traditional Fall Sports Canceled For 2020-2021
Traditional spring sports are still on the schedule, with deadline set to opt out
Due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases and current pandemic conditions in Los Angeles County, the presidents of the 12 South Coast Conference Colleges unanimously made the difficult decision to opt out of athletics competition for traditional fall sports for the 2020-2021 season.
This means that the abbreviated Spring I season proposed for February-April 2021 has been cancelled for the following nine conference-sponsored sports: men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's water polo, women's volleyball, and men's and women's basketball.
The proposed Spring II season for 2021 traditional spring South Coast Conference sports remains on schedule to start in April 2021. This includes baseball, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's tennis, women's badminton, women's beach volleyball, and men's and women's track and field. However, a deadline of February 26, 2021, has been designated for colleges to either opt in or opt out of the Spring II season.
The presidents of the South Coast Conference plan to meet on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, and Wednesday, February 3, 2021, to discuss the prospects of going forward with Spring II sports.
Sports competition within the California Community Colleges came to a screeching halt in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a shutdown in the state. No South Coast Conference titles were awarded for spring 2020 sports, which played abbreviated regular/conference seasons.
The South Coast Conference consists of the following colleges: Cerritos, Compton, East Los Angeles, El Camino, Los Angeles City, Los Angeles Harbor, Los Angeles Southwest, Los Angeles Trade Tech, Long Beach City, Mt. San Antonio, Pasadena City, and Rio Hondo.
"I am so proud of the effort our College, coaches, staff and student-athletes have made during the past nine months to stay connected. I am particularly proud of our student-athletes who continued to progress toward achieving their academic goals while striving to maintain a level of fitness that would allow them to compete. That time is coming, and when it does our Vikings will be in a position to take full advantage." said Interim Athletics Director Bill Husak.
"In this moment, it is hard to imagine any Conference or College president to make a decision different from the South Coast Conference. President Bynum and the whole Long Beach City College administration is so supportive of our student-athletes and recognize the value of the Vikings Athletics experience and the LBCC education. We will be back stronger than ever.
Our Athletics Department doesn't just focus on sport and academics. We also develop citizenship. Part of being a member of the LBCC village is understanding that we are part of a larger community. We know that acting responsibly in times of crisis is not a hope or a wish. It is an expectation."