The NCAA announced on Thursday that they have canceled championships for fall sports, but president Mark Emmert is focused on ensuring other sports are able to compete in the future.
“We cannot now have fall NCAA championships. Because there are not enough schools participating … if you don’t have half the schools participating, you can’t have a legitimate champion,” Emmert said in a video posted on social media.
“But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t and can’t turn towards winter and spring and say ‘how can we create a legitimate championship for all those students?'”
"We cannot, at this point, have fall NCAA championships."
NCAA President Mark Emmert discusses the latest developments in fall sports and looks ahead to winter and spring championships.
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Though there will not be fall championships, Emmert still hopes students are able to remain engaged with their coaches in the fall and stay ready to play.
The NCAA also canceled championships for winter and spring sports earlier this year, which is why Emmert says he wants to prioritize having championships for those teams next year. Notably, Emmert says they will consider various options to ensure safety of athletes, such as the use of predetermined sites and a possible move towards bubble or semi-bubble models, which he describes as “doable.”
Keep in mind, what the NCAA decides for fall sports does not apply to college football, whose champion is crowned by the College Football Playoff, not the NCAA. Conferences like the Big 12, ACC and SEC are still considering playing seasons this year. Since they have their own conferences, relationships, and TV contracts, they could act independent of the NCAA.
