The Southeastern Conference has established new start dates for the 2020-21 men’s and women’s swimming & diving and equestrian seasons, as announced by league commissioner Greg Sankey Monday afternoon.
The new scheduling formats were developed with assistance from the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, as the 14 member institutions continue to monitor developments related the COVID-19 pandemic.
The SEC swimming & diving season will commence no earlier than Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020 and conclude no later than Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 with regionalized competition permitted upon the adherence of opponents to SEC Task Force medical requirements.
Competition will be limited to the dual-meet format unless alternative strategies are identified to limit the overall number of participants to ensure appropriate distancing. The number of events is at the discretion of each institution. The SEC Swimming & Diving Championships are slated to be held this season at the University of Missouri.
“We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to compete this season,” said Tom Cousins Swimming & Diving head coach Jack Bauerle. “During this difficult time, everyone in our program has worked tirelessly to prepare for this moment. We want to thank our UGA administrators and the Southeastern Conference for their commitment to competing and we look forward to a promising 2020-21 season.”
The SEC equestrian season will begin no earlier than Thursday, Oct. 15 and conclude no later than Sunday, Nov. 22, with team competition limited to SEC members or institutions located with a conference member’s region. Teams will be limited to no more than three team events. The SEC Equestrian Championships are scheduled to be held this season at the UGA Equestrian Complex in Bishop, Ga.
“We are so excited to compete this fall,” said Georgia equestrian head coach Meghan Boenig. “The commitment from our student-athletes to the UGA Administration and the SEC to do this in a safe environment has been tremendous. We are confident this will be a positive experience for our student-athletes during what has been such a challenging time and we are thankful for the opportunity.”
The SEC announced in July that student-athletes in all sports who elect to not participate in intercollegiate athletics during the fall 2020 academic semester because of health and/or safety concerns related to COVID-19 will continue to have their scholarships honored by their university and will remain in good standing with their team.
The SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force continues to meet on policies and procedures for the safe return of student-athletes to competition, building on the NCAA’s Resocialization of College Sports Guidelines.
SWIMMING & DIVING
- Season runs from Oct. 1, 2020 through Jan. 25, 2021
- Regionalized competition permitted upon adherence of opponents to SEC Medical Guidance Task Force Requirements for COVID-19 Management
- No restrictions on number of events
EQUESTRIAN
- Season runs from Oct. 15 to Nov. 22, 2020
- Team competition limited to SEC members or institutions within a conference member’s geographic region
- No more than three team events permitted