MASCAC starting preparations for 2020 fall season

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that getting out in front of something and being prepared matters. Turning a blind eye to possibilities helps no one.

The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) — in which Fitchburg State University’s athletic programs reside — announced Monday that it’s beginning to put together plans for a 2020 fall season, with the hopes that safety measures can be put in place to align with the commonwealth’s reopening phases.

“Specific details regarding the fall season will be released in mid-July as Massachusetts progresses through the Commonwealth’s reopening phases as more information is known about the COVID-19 pandemic,” a release from the conference stated. “Thanks for your patience and we look forward to seeing you back on the courts, fields and playing surfaces of the MASCAC.”

In addition to Fitchburg State, the conference covers seven other schools across the board and a handful of other universities in several sports. The MASCAC is the nation’s oldest Division 3 conference in men’s and women’s athletics.

Like many organizations trying to put together a season in any sport, the MASCAC will face the challenge of trying to keep student-athletes safe amid the pandemic. Professional sports leagues have added extra precautions — not allowing fans into arenas, for example — with medical experts floating the idea of additional face coverings in sports with heavy interpersonal contact, such as the NFL.

While plans appear to be early in their development and thus fluid, the MASCAC release says officials are hard at work in terms of logistics and safety measures.

In the fall, the conference hosts the following eight sports: men’s golf, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, women’s volleyball, and football.

“The conference office has been actively meeting with the presidents, athletic directors, athletic trainers, coaches and other essential staff to create a return to play plan,” Monday’s press release states. “As much in life has changed during the pandemic, athletics will be different, however our primary goal remains providing the MASCAC student-athletes a healthy and safe quality playing experience while adhering to the state health guidelines.”

Fitchburg State director of athletics Matthew Burke declined comment on the early stages of planning, referring instead to the conference’s release.

For the Falcons, the fall season is slated to feature seven sports, with no golf program at FSU and returning coaches with experience in Fitchburg in all sports except for football, where Scott Sperone was named the head coach in late January.

In addition to providing a sense of normalcy and lifting morale at schools, the MASCAC push for a fall season comes as the conference prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in collegiate athletics. The conference says it will be releasing several features — including facts and trivia about its existence — over the course of the 2020-21 academic year, looking back at its roots and some of its more memorable athletes and moments.

“Our conference has a rich history of success on the playing field and in the classroom,” the MASCAC releases reads. “Over the academic year, the conference will be highlighting the student-athletes, team, coaches and administrators from the last 50 years.”