The MIAA will delay the start of all intercollegiate athletic practices until the week of August 31, with the start of competition delayed until the week of September 28. Restrictions and limitations on student-athlete and coach activities prior to the August 31 start of MIAA practices will be announced soon.
“This plan allows our student-athletes to get back on campus and get acclimated with the student body before we begin practices and competition,” said MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy. “We remain hopeful that the MIAA student-athletes will be able to practice and compete this fall, but we need to be patient and make sure that we are doing that in a healthy and safe environment for our student-athletes, coaches, and administrators.”
The plan will allow member universities to continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, and to make decisions about athletics and other campus activities based on conditions in that community and with guidance from local and state health officials.
The MIAA Conference is made up of 14 teams, five of which are located in Missouri: Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri Southern in Joplin, Missouri Western in St. Joseph and Northwest Missouri in Maryville. The rest of the conference is made up of schools in Kansas and Oklahoma.
The other Division II conference, the Great Lakes Valley, which features nine schools from Missouri is taking a thorough review process of NCAA-recommended guidelines and intends to make a final decision regarding competition in the near future.
