Mountain East Conference push basketball, wrestling, track and swimming to 2021

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - According to a press release by the Mountain East Conference, winter sports for the conference will begin no earlier than January 1st of 2021.

The Board of Directors unanimously decided the start date on Friday afternoon. They say they will be joining a majority of other Division II conferences in this decision.

This decision will affect basketball, swimming, track and field and wrestling for MEC schools. In our area, Fairmont State University, Glenville State University, West Virginia Wesleyan College, Alderson Broaddus University and Davis & Elkins College will be affected.

The board says they will also look at options for preserving a year of eligibility for student-athletes affected.

“We are disappointed to delay the start of winter sports, largely due to the challenges with acquiring the needed volume of testing supplies, but we are committed to pursuing every route available that will allow those student-athletes to have a meaningful season, retain a year of eligibility and still compete for conference and national championships,” Commissioner Reid Amos said in a statement. “We strongly believe that student-athletes in winter sports deserve the same eligibility relief that has already been afforded to fall and spring student-athletes, principally due to the loss of their national championship events last year and that the experience for all winter sport student-athletes will be significantly compromised by the effects of the pandemic. Our ultimate decisions regarding the length of schedules for our winter sports are dependent on whether or not present NCAA relief options are expanded for the benefit of our winter student-athletes.”