MADISON, Wis. ­– Following a very deliberative process to allow for full consideration of the most up-to-date information pertaining to COVID-19, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has announced updates to the fall sports season.

Conference seasons and championships in the sports of football, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country are to be canceled for the 2020-21 academic year. Institutions will retain the autonomy to establish practice opportunities within the limitations stipulated by the NCAA throughout the 2020-21 academic year.

All competition in the sports of women’s tennis and women’s golf will be suspended for the 2020-21 fall term. The WIAC seasons and championships in the sports of women’s tennis and women’s golf will be moved to the 2020-21 spring term. Institutions will retain the autonomy to establish practice opportunities within the limitations stipulated by the NCAA during the fall term.

Determinations with regards to the winter sports season, including the start date and the manner in which competition will be conducted, will be determined at a later date.

Any practice opportunities or competitions must be conducted in accordance with NCAA resocialization guidelines in effect at that time, in addition to any mandated restrictions imposed by local, county or campus entities.

The WIAC was formed on July 1, 1997, when nine members of the former Wisconsin State University Conference and the Wisconsin Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference were joined together to form a single conference.

Effective with the 2001-02 academic year, Lawrence University joined the conference in the sport of wrestling. Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), Hamline University (Minn.) and Winona State University (Minn.) became members of the conference in the sport of women’s gymnastics during the 2004-05 academic year.

In 2009-10, the conference added men’s soccer as a sponsored sport with the announcement of Finlandia University (Mich.) as an affiliate member. Lawrence discontinued its affiliation with the WIAC in wrestling.

The WIAC has continued the record of athletics and academic excellence established by its predecessors. The conference is widely recognized as the premier Division III conference in the country as evident by the number of NCAA championships captured annually by WIAC teams and the overall finish of WIAC institutions in the Division III Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.

The conference also has assumed a significant leadership role in the governance structure of the NCAA and been recognized for its advances in gender equity and the community activism of its student-athletes.

The conference features eight full-time members and six affiliate members.