The spring 2020 sports season has been cancelled. This means that no practices, scrimmages, competitions, or championships will take place for any NAIA sports through May 15, 2020.
LEGISLATIVE SERVICES/ELIGIBILITY
The National Eligibility Committee (NEC) – the membership group responsible for eligibility-related legislation – has a series of calls scheduled to decide further details and implications.
We realize there are a large number of questions resulting from the cancellation of championships and extending terms of eligibility to athletes. We are working diligently to determine the best course of action for the many different scenarios our members are experiencing and will share answers as soon as they are decided. Please email any questions to [email protected].
SPORTS INFORMATION
Winter Sports
Any team that qualified for the championships in DI men’s and women’s basketball, competitive cheer and dance, and men’s and women’s bowling, regardless of if they played or not, will receive a championship appearance. We will address it specifically in the record books with an asterisk denoting this situation.
There will be winter sport All-Americans named. DII basketball will be released Thursday, March 19. Other release dates are still being determined.
Winter sport national champions will not be named if the championship was not complete. This means that no national champion or invitational winner will be named in the sports of competitive cheer and dance, DI and DII men’s and women’s basketball, women’s wrestling, and men’s and women’s bowling.
Spring Sports
Spring sports should remain in DakStats.
Whether spring sport records will count is still being determined by the NAIA-SIDA board.
There will not be spring All-Americans, with the possible exception of men’s volleyball. The final decision will be made by the NAC at the next meeting.
ELIGIBILITY CENTER
PlayNAIA’s systematic term for decision will still change from spring 2020 to fall 2020, but no winter or spring 2019-20 applications will be cancelled. This is to provide additional time to students who are still working towards receiving eligibility this academic year.
Students are encouraged to submit documents electronically to avoid delays.
U.S. high school documents: NAIA High School Portal
U.S. college transcripts: NAIA Registrar Portal, National Student Clearinghouse, eScripSafe/ Credential Solutions, Parchment
International documents: InCred
CONVENTION
The 2020 National Convention scheduled for March 28-April 1 has been cancelled.
All registration fees are being fully refunded. Please allow up to three weeks for refunds to be processed to the original form of payment.
There are no plans to reschedule the 2020 National Convention. However, the Council of Presidents and National Administrative Council plan to hold abbreviated virtual meetings to address time-sensitive action items.
REMINDER
April 1: Deadline for athletics directors to submit the Declaration of Intent, which identifies an institution's list of sponsored sports for 2020-21. Submissions due through NAIAHelp.
SPONSORSHIPS
One of the NAIA's partners, the U.S. Council for Athletes' Health, has developed a library of free Electronic Learning Modules (ELMs) in response to the COVID-19 crisis, including what precautionary measures should be taken within athletics. To gain access, click here.
