MIAC sets spring schedules
Mar. 4—The Free Press
The MIAC Presidents' Council has approved plans to move forward with spring and postponed fall sports competition, and teams may begin competing on Friday.
The MIAC is planning for a full spring-sports season, including conference championships for baseball, softball, tennis, golf and outdoor track and field. For postponed fall sports competing in the spring, soccer and volleyball will participate in a condensed schedule, while cross country and football teams will have the autonomy to schedule up to four contests. There will not be conference championships for fall sports this spring.
The MIAC baseball season will include a 12-round conference season, starting April 2, with mid-week and Saturday play dates set for doubleheaders and Sunday play dates designated for single nine-inning games. Teams may play nonconference games beginning Friday. The MIAC tournament will be held May 19-22. The team with the best conference winning percentage that has played at least 51 percent of its scheduled conference games after Round 11 of the regular season will be the conference champion and No. 1 seed in the MIAC Playoffs.
The softball season will begin with conference doubleheaders on April 3. The MIAC tournament, which will include six teams, will be held May 13-16.
The men's and women's tennis seasons will run March 5-May 2, with matches scheduled at the discretion of each participating institution. The five-team men's tennis playoffs will take place May 4, 6 and 8, while the six-team women's tennis playoffs are set for May 5, 7, and 8. The high seed will host each postseason match.
Men's and women's golf teams will have a conference championship meet April 30-May 2 at Emerald Greens in Hastings. The season schedule will be published as tournaments are announced.
Men's and women's track & field teams will transition outdoors as soon as weather allows. The MIAC Multi-Event Championships are set to take place on May 7-8, while the outdoor championships will take place May 14-15. Hosts for these events are yet to be determined.
Cross country teams can compete March 5-May 15, with a maximum of four competitions. There will not be a conference championship meet.
Football teams may schedule contests between March 5 and May 15. There will be no conference schedule and no champion will be crowned. Football teams are permitted to schedule four contests, including scrimmages, exhibitions and games.
The spring men's and women's soccer schedules run from March 5-May 15, with a maximum of eight contests. Men's soccer will play five conference games starting April 8, and women's soccer will have six conference games starting April 6. There will be no conference champion or playoffs.
The volleyball schedule will run March 5-May 15, with a maximum of nine competitions. The six-match conference slate begins March 31 and will continue each Wednesday night through May 5. There will be no conference champion or playoffs.
The MIAC has adjusted the current winter seasons, allowing institutions to compete beyond March 6 for basketball and March 13 for hockey. The conference will not issue postseason awards for winter sports.
The MIAC will continue to monitor changing circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic and membership will assess and adjust policies as needed throughout the spring.
The MIAC will follow NCAA testing standards for fall and spring sports according to the NCAA designated risk per sport. Once competition is moved outdoors, each MIAC institution will create its own policy regarding spectator attendance.
