GLIAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors Approve Winter and Spring Competition Calendar

Credit: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

GLIAC (GLIAC/WBUP) — The Great Lakes intercollegiate Athletic Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors approved the winter and spring competition calendar Tuesday based on evolving COVID-19 testing, travel and venue protocols.

The approved schedule models for fall sports competing in the spring feature a reduced conference-only regular season, plus a conference tournament.

Winter sports that don’t operate with a conference schedule, such as swimming & diving and indoor track & field, may compete according to normal NCAA guidelines, while men’s and women’s basketball will have a unique conference schedule that begins Jan. 7. Presidents and chancellors also allowed non-conference games prior to Jan. 1 to be scheduled at the intuitions’ discretion.

During the past several months, GLIAC athletic directors, athletic trainers and the league’s COVID-19 Task Force have assembled safe competition protocols and several schedule revisions. The GLIAC is establishing consistent COVID-19 testing, safe training, travel, hosting and in-game protocols among its 12 members. Presidents and chancellors will make a final decision on testing requirements at a later date.

“Our administrators, coaches and the task force have been meeting weekly with the hope of getting our student-athletes back on the court or field next semester,” GLIAC Commissioner Kris Dunbar said. “Their commitment to this process is impressive, and the safety of the student-athletes, staff and our communities have been at the forefront of our decisions. I can’t understate how proud I am of how far we’ve come and what we’ve weathered.”

Schedule models will be announced on the following dates:

Schedule release timeline

  • Men’s and Women’s Basketball – Thursday, Nov. 12 – 1 p.m.
  • Men’s and Women’s Soccer – Monday, Nov. 16 – 11 a.m.
  • Volleyball – TBA

Volleyball is slated to begin Feb. 19, and men’s and women’s soccer on March 19. The Fall 2020 women’s tennis season will be played in the spring in conjunction with the men’s season. The Fall 2020 cross country season was canceled, and GLIAC members have been given autonomy to schedule football scrimmages or up to five spring competitions. Spring 2021 sports schedules have remained as-is, but all schedules are subject to change due to the pandemic.

About the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), founded in 1972, has been a leader in the advancement and promotion of intercollegiate athletics for men and women for 48 years. The charter members of the GLIAC were Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Lake Superior State University, Northwood University, and Saginaw State University. The current membership now includes 12 full members: Ashland University, Davenport University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Lake Superior State University, Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University, Northwood University, Purdue University Northwest, Saginaw Valley State University, Wayne State University, and the University of Wisconsin Parkside. The Conference has grown to offer championships in 21 sports while rising to prominence on the national level as GLIAC teams and student-athletes have achieved success both in the classroom and on the fields of play.