PORTLAND, Ore. – With eight of 10 member institutions electing to not participate in the conference season due to COVID-19 reasons, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced today that it will not conduct a 2020-21 conference schedule for men's and women's basketball.

Alaska Fairbanks elected on Dec. 11 to not participate in the conference season due to health and safety concerns. With that decision and Seattle Pacific's subsequent decision to opt-out on Dec. 16, the conference schedule was determined to no longer be viable. No regular-season champion in either sport will be declared.

Six GNAC members elected to opt-out the conference basketball seasons on Nov. 13: Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Montana State Billings, Simon Fraser, Western Oregon and Western Washington.

Each GNAC institution shall retain the autonomy to independently schedule basketball contests to occur no earlier than Jan. 7. Team activities, practice and training opportunities and contests against outside competition will be determined and defined by each member institution but must adhere to NCAA policies and local public health authorities.

The GNAC Management Council and CEO Board continue to look at the feasibility of the spring seasons for baseball, softball, outdoor track and field, men's and women's golf and women's rowing; and the suspended fall seasons for cross country, men's and women's soccer and volleyball.
 

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BILLINGS, Mont. – After a Great Northwest Athletic Conference CEO Board conference call on Friday, Montana State University Billings announced that it will not compete in a conference schedule in the sports of men's and women's basketball during the 2020-21 season due to ongoing concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
 
MSUB was in the majority with its decision, as six of the 10 member schools in the conference elected not to compete in a conference schedule for men's and women's basketball. Along with MSUB, the University of Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington University, Simon Fraser University, Western Oregon University, and Western Washington University decided against a conference schedule. The University of Alaska Fairbanks, Northwest Nazarene University, Saint Martin's University, and Seattle Pacific University indicated they intend to compete in a modified conference schedule.
 
MSUB, along with the other five conference members who will not compete in a conference schedule, will have the ability to independently schedule games against other institutions, so long as the competitions adhere to local COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and NCAA COVID-19 protocols including testing requirements. Per GNAC mandate (Oct. 2, 2020), no outside competition is allowed for any conference member in any sport before the date of Jan. 7, 2021.
 
"Along with five of our fellow GNAC institutions, MSUB has made the decision to not compete in conference schedules for men's and women's basketball due to health and safety concerns surrounding coronavirus," said MSUB Chancellor Rolf Groseth. "It was a difficult decision to make and we understand that it's frustrating. It is frustrating to us, our student-athletes, their families, and our community, but under our current circumstances, it is the best decision we can make to keep all involved healthy and safe. We remain a committed GNAC member and look forward to competing in all sports in the future."
 
"It is a gut-wrenching decision, but the health and safety of our student-athletes, our campus community, the Billings community, as well as the families of all those involved comes first," said MSUB Athletic Director Krista Montague. "We remain committed to supporting our student-athletes through this challenging and uncertain time. We would also like to thank our medical professionals, athletic trainers, coaches, and staff, who have worked diligently towards ensuring a safe return to competition since the pandemic began in March."
 
Fall sports at MSUB, which include men's and women's soccer, volleyball, and men's and women's cross country, will not participate in a conference or championship schedule during the spring of 2021. Fall sports will proceed with their regularly-scheduled, countable athletically related activities (CARA) hours, which includes team practices and non-conference games against outside competition, during the spring of 2021. The NCAA previously announced the cancelation of all fall sport championships, removing the possibility for any postseason play for any fall sports.
 
As of Friday, MSUB's spring sports, which could begin competition schedules as early as February, remain on track to compete. Spring sports at MSUB include baseball, softball, men's and women's track and field, women's triathlon, and men's and women's golf.
 

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PORTLAND, Ore. – The CEO Board of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference has approved the conference's initial plans for playing fall sports in the spring and has provided additional guidance on the start of winter sports.

The board voted to delay the start of competition for the winter sports of men's basketball, women's basketball and indoor track and field to no earlier than Thursday, Jan. 7, if feasible. No outside competition will be allowed by institutions before that date. This timeline will be continued to be reviewed by the CEO Board over the coming months.

The delay allows teams to better follow the guidelines set forth by local and state health authorities as well as evaluate the guidelines set forth in the NCAA's Core Principles of the Resocialization of Collegiate Basketball, which was released last week.

The CEO Board also approved plans to move the conference's fall sports to spring 2021 seasons for men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball, if feasible. The schedules will be announced by the conference office in the coming weeks.

The women's soccer season will culminate in the GNAC Women's Soccer Championships, which will take place at Harrington Field on the campus of Western Washington University. Likewise, the men's soccer season will end with a one-time only GNAC Men's Soccer Championships, which will take place in conjunction with the GNAC Women's Soccer Championships.

Given concerns about the prospects of playing two seasons in the same calendar year, football will not play a conference-developed schedule for the spring 2021 season. Athletic directors requested institutional autonomy in developing the makeup of their spring schedules, providing teams the opportunity to focus on conditioning, acclimatization and preparing for the upcoming fall season after a nearly 12-month break from the sport.

Discussion continues on the best course forward for a cross country season in spring 2021.

The CEO Board also approved the cancellation of the 2021 GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. The decision comes as the meet's longtime home, the Jackson's Indoor Center at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa, is no longer serving as a track and field venue. Other championship-caliber facilities within the GNAC footprint were unavailable.

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NCAA Board of Directors Announcement regarding fall 2020 Championship season

BILLINGS, Mont. – USA Triathlon and the College Triathlon Coaches Association board of directors announced last Friday that the fall 2020 varsity women's collegiate triathlon season has been canceled due to ongoing precautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
"It is obviously disappointing to lose the prospect of competing this fall, especially after a summer of hard training," said second-year Montana State University Billings women's triathlon head coach Kevin Bjerke. "I believe it is the correct decision to protect the health and wellbeing of our student-athletes. With our young squad, this will give us an opportunity to develop our skills and endurance as we shift our focus to a potential spring season."
 
The decision by USAT and CTCA comes on the heels of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's decision to suspend all competition at its member institutions through November 30.
 
The Yellowjacket women's triathlon team completed its debut season in 2019-20, and doubled its roster size in the off-season to four with the addition of freshmen Journey Erickson of Hardin and Katelynn Perfitt of Billings. The duo of newcomers joins sophomores-to-be Madisan Chavez and Maddy Terwilliger.
 
MSUB is located just a short drive from the Beartooth Highway, also known as the Gateway to Yellowstone and heralded as one of the most beautiful and scenic drives in the country. This in turn makes the highway one of the more sought-after bike rides in the country. In addition to some intra-squad competitions and other unique endurance challenges, tackling the Beartooth Highway will be on the list of feats the Yellowjacket women's triathlon team will be taking on this fall.
 
"We are fortunate to have something like the Beartooth Highway right in our backyard," said Bjerke. "People come from all over the country to take on the more than 6,000-foot climb and breathtaking views. We would be remiss to not take on that challenge ourselves."
 
Bjerke's goal is to continue growing the program, both in terms of roster size and awareness, within the local community. His currently all-Montana roster features room for expansion, and scholarships remain available for the upcoming semester. "I look forward to continuing to grow the Yellowjacket triathlon program and exposing more young athletes in the area to this exciting new NCAA sport," Bjerke said. "We are blessed with an ideal training climate in the fall. I look forward to taking full advantage of our climate and the surrounding landscape to keep the team engaged and training hard this fall while also having some fun."
 

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PORTLAND, Ore. – Citing the health and safety of student-athletes as the overriding concern, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference CEO Board announced Friday it is suspending all intercollegiate athletics competition through Nov. 30 due to COVID-19. 

All 16 men's and women's varsity sports at Montana State University Billings will suspend all competition through Nov. 30 in accordance with the conference's decision. "The decision to suspend fall sports is incredibly disheartening and disappointing for all of us, however the primary concern surrounding everything we do is the well-being of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff," MSUB athletic director Krista Montague said. "It is a sad and gut-wrenching decision, however an incredible amount of thought and consideration went into it. We support the decision and believe it is in the best interest of all involved."

Student-athletes are encouraged to visit the MSUB Athletics Frequently Asked Questions Webpage online here, to address many topics of interest such as how Friday's decision affects eligibility, scholarships, and National Letters of Intent.

The CEO Board said it will continue to monitor developments related to the pandemic and make a decision by Oct. 15 regarding the status of competition after Nov. 30.

Today's announcement, which affects all 17 sports sponsored by the GNAC, precludes contests of any kind against outside competition regardless of whether a sport is in the championship or non-championship segment of its playing calendar. Conference members will have institutional autonomy regarding organized practice activities, according to the CEO Board.

"This was not a decision taken lightly but one the Board believes is in the best interests of student-athletes and staff," said Dave Haglund, GNAC commissioner. "There is no greater priority than the health and well-being of our student-athletes and this action is reflective of the GNAC's commitment to this prevailing principle.  We understand that many student-athletes will be disappointed and saddened by this news, particularly our seniors, and we have profound empathy for everyone affected by this decision, including non-conference opponents. We can only ask for their thoughtful understanding during these challenging and unprecedented times."

Haglund said that conference governance groups have already engaged in active discussions for providing meaningful seasons of competition for the conference's fall championship sports, including the feasibility of playing in the spring.

View MSU Billings' comprehensive fall semester health and safety plan, released on Wednesday, online here.
 

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PORTLAND, Ore. – The CEO Board of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced today that it is canceling all athletic competition, including conference championships, for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year. Last week, the Board announced an indefinite suspension of spring conference competitions and GNAC championship events.

The unanimous decision, reached in consultation with the conference's 11 member institutions, including MSU Billings, was made to protect the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, staff members and fans while working to minimize the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The cancellation includes competitions in both championship and non-championship segments. The GNAC decision aligns with that of the NCAA, which has canceled all spring championships.

In addition to the cancellation of all remaining competitions, the conference is suspending all countable athletics-related activities through June 30.

"Our greatest concern is for the health and welfare of everyone within the GNAC as well as that of the communities that our institutions are a part of," said GNAC commissioner Dave Haglund. "This was not an easy decision, but with the continuously changing nature of the pandemic, it is the right decision to protect the health of everyone involved. We feel bad for our student-athletes who are seeing their seasons, and in some cases their athletic careers, come to an abrupt halt. Their hard work and sacrifice inspire us all."

This past Friday, the NCAA Division II Administrative Committee adopted emergency legislation to allow institutions to self-apply for season-of-competition waivers for student-athletes whose 2019-20 spring seasons were canceled.