NESCAC

[lovelax]

The IVY and NESCAC presidents "tolerate" sports and do not recognize the "college experience" for these student-athletes. Most do not see the value in the team/athletic experiences and are tunnel vision towards academics so if the season is cancelled no big deal in their minds. So short sighted and each want s to be the "first' to cancel. Such a shame for these kids.

[Dehuntshigwa’es]

I have been waiting for that sentiment to bubble to the surface. If conferences like the NESCAC and the Centennial don't play while others like the ODAC do, will there be any long term changes to the D3 landscape?? Just wondering.

I don't think so - if one or more NESCAC/CC teams do not play this spring, I'd expect a short-term (<1 season) dip in performance out of those teams since, when they do return to the field, they will have not competed together against top competition for almost 2 years. However, I do not think NESCAC/CC conference/school decisions about playing the 2021 season will have any measurable impact on recruiting.

I agree in the idea that longer term over the next 3-4 years that a cancelled season for the NESCAC will have little consequence. I do however feel that in the immediate future over the next 1-2 years that at the margin there will be numerous students that reevaluate applying to the NESCAC programs. I think there has already been an uptick in interest at universities like Washington & Lee who compete for talent with NESCAC schools. The obvious advantage is that while at W&L you are truly playing a spring sport where it’s on average almost 10 degrees warmer in season. Swarthmore and Haverford May also benefit. The ODAC is on this year some why not consider heading south. W&L also has an interesting program where about 10% of the incoming class attends for free, check out the Johnson Scholarship there have been numerous recipients who have won the scholarship while on the lax team

[overandback]

Swarthmore cancelled athletics for all of 20-21 back in the Fall.
Some say it was to punish their hoops team for being so good.

[Dave]

...Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury - not having seasons. Wesleyan Soph's are off campus for the spring semester...looks like it will be every program for itself to schedule whatever games they can...

[JBFortunato]

...Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury - not having seasons. Wesleyan Soph's are off campus for the spring semester...looks like it will be every program for itself to schedule whatever games they can...

How do you know this? Not seeing it anywhere.

[NESLAX]

I have also heard tha same thing regarding Amherst, Middlebury and Bowdoin, choosing to sit out the season. A conference coach has told his players that each team in the conference will have the option to play a combination of conference and non-conference games. Reportedly the conference games will not be sanctioned by the NESCAC. What exactly that all means....I am not really sure.

[VTLaxGuy]

There will be a competitive disadvantage for NESCAC schools in the next 2-3 years but canceling this season will have little to do with it.

The bigger issue that will surface and hurt the conference on the national stage is the fact that every student on roster will be getting two extra years of eligibility thanks to the NCAA spring 2020 and 2020-21 academic year waivers. (Freshmen only get one year back as they weren’t on rosters in S20).

When Salisbury, RIT and other national “big dogs” can carry 5th and 6th year players but the ‘CAC schools can’t; it’ll show up come tourney time.

[bighoss74]

You only need 5 in-conference games per team to qualify for an NCAA AQ spot. Only need 4 teams to be recognized as a conference. Even with all those teams not playing, I'm optimistic that there'll be a NESCAC team in the tournament.

[DeepPocket]

...Reportedly the conference games will not be sanctioned by the NESCAC...

Pretty sure this would make a NESCAC AQ not in the cards.
But then again... COVID Waivers are being issued for rules left and right. Why stop now.

[smoova]

... the fact that every student on roster will be getting two extra years of eligibility thanks to the NCAA spring 2020 and 2020-21 academic year waivers. (Freshmen only get one year back as they weren’t on rosters in S20).

Has the NCAA already granted a second year of additional eligibility or are you speculating?

[NESLAX]

...Reportedly the conference games will not be sanctioned by the NESCAC...

Pretty sure this would make a NESCAC AQ not in the cards.
But then again... COVID Waivers are being issued for rules left and right. Why stop now.

I assume the same, however that is only a guess. Any remaining NESCAC team's only chance at post season NCAA tournement play, would be as an at large bid.

[Unknown Participant]

I have also heard tha same thing regarding Amherst, Middlebury and Bowdoin, choosing to sit out the season. A conference coach has told his players that each team in the conference will have the option to play a combination of conference and non-conference games. Reportedly the conference games will not be sanctioned by the NESCAC. What exactly that all means....I am not really sure.

Confirmed.

Also that all sophomores and up get yet another year of eligibility.

[smoova]

Confirmed.

Also that all sophomores and up get yet another year of eligibility.

Would you mind sharing a source?

[VTLaxGuy]

This has all the info:

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/compli ... AGuide.pdf

Page 8, question 2 deals specifically with the “double dipping” of a student getting both waivers.

Also worth noting that on a recent episode of the Jamie Munro podcast, Salisbury Coach Berkman mentions having 10 of his 13 2020 seniors back and that many have enrolled in 2 year grad programs so they can use both years.

[smoova]

^ Thank you. What an unfortunate situation for the high school classes of 2021 and 2022.

[Unknown Participant]

Another thing to consider (at least in my opinion) is that many Nescac players have had their hopes of an NCAA championship obliterated by this. Of course one can only speculate on the 2020 season, but there were 3-4 Nescac teams with a real chance of making the championship game. Over the past 10 seasons, there have been 5 Nescac champions and 7 teams have played in the final. I don't know about you readers, but I won one championship in my 18 years of varsity competition, and that was in my Jr. year of high school in the ISL. I can hardly imagine how great it would be to win it all, and the enormous good will it would represent to the college that got me there.

It is could be so much more than just playing a game.

[Sidelinehorn!]

Another thing to consider (at least in my opinion) is that many Nescac players have had their hopes of an NCAA championship obliterated by this. Of course one can only speculate on the 2020 season, but there were 3-4 Nescac teams with a real chance of making the championship game. Over the past 10 seasons, there have been 5 Nescac champions and 7 teams have played in the final. I don't know about you readers, but I won one championship in my 18 years of varsity competition, and that was in my Jr. year of high school in the ISL. I can hardly imagine how great it would be to win it all, and the enormous good will it would represent to the college that got me there.

It is could be so much more than just playing a game.

Just goes to show you that the NESCAC does not care about that....People will still open their wallets to the educational opportunity...they may lose some recruits...but they will just select Jane and Joe from a different prep school who can pay...the line is miles long

[smoova]

Just goes to show you that the NESCAC does not care about that....People will still open their wallets to the educational opportunity...they may lose some recruits...but they will just select Jane and Joe from a different prep school who can pay...the line is miles long

You are certainly correct about the long line of folks who would happily pay full freight to send their kid to a NESCAC school. However, I'm not sure the quality of NESCAC recruits will suffer at all. Most current high school players (and their parents) expect life/lacrosse to be back to normal by the time they hit college, so the NESCAC's actions during the tail of this pandemic are viewed as largely irrelevant to their prospective experience. I also imagine that the combination of (i) additional eligibility granted by the NCAA, (ii) large-scale deferrals by Ivy players and (iii) perhaps most significantly, the never-ending DI dead period is gifting NESCAC coaches the ability to recruit more high-level players than in previous years.

[Matnum PI]

NESCAC update casts doubt on spring lacrosse seasons
New England Lacrosse Journal



An update from the NESCAC on Wednesday cast doubts about that league having spring lacrosse seasons due to COVID.

The New England Small College Athletic Conference released a statement on Wednesday that cast doubt about its ability to have spring lacrosse seasons.

In the update from the presidents of the conference’s 11 member institutions, the league noted that while COVID case numbers have started to decline, both nationally and in this region, they remain “far higher” than they were at the start of the fall semester.

“After a careful review, the NESCAC presidents have agreed that conditions will need to improve significantly in order to conduct conference competition this spring,” the release stated.

[nehslaxfan]

Any insights as to which schools will decide to play games this season vs those that won’t? Have heard some of them have all classes on campus and some don’t.
.