BURNSVILLE, Minn. – In light of the NCAA Board of Governors' decision to direct all institutions and conferences to meet specific requirements to conduct fall sports and the NCAA Division II Presidents Council's announcement that all NCAA Division II fall championships are canceled, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's Board of Directors has canceled NSIC fall competition & championships, and has suspended all athletic competition through December 31, 2020.
 
"Today is a difficult day for Augustana athletics, but out of adversity comes opportunity," Augustana Director of Athletics Josh Morton said. "We agree with and support the NSIC Board of Directors' decision to suspend competition through December 31 as the conference determined that we couldn't find a safe path forward to play this fall. The health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the entire community is, and must always be our top priority. 
 
"My heart aches for our fall sport student-athletes and all those involved with Viking athletics because competition is an integral part of being a student-athlete at Augustana. We will now do everything we can to explore opportunities for meaningful competition experiences for our fall sports in the spring semester. Anything we do will depend on doing so in a safe manner for all involved. The student-athlete experience at Augustana is special and unique - that won't change and I'm proud of their resilience and perseverance over the last five months as we continue to embrace the challenge of uncertainty.  
 
"So now we deal with what is in front of us and new opportunities for a championship-level experience for our student-athletes. I look forward to working with them and our coaches to find those opportunities…together as Vikings!"
 
The NSIC recognizes the value an NCAA championship experience provides for student-athletes and that was a factor in the analysis. However, health and safety concerns prevailed in the league's decision. Additionally, current recommendations for testing, exposure, and quarantine make it very difficult for a season to be successfully completed at an institution or across the conference without severe disruptions.
 
"The league's initial decision to delay the start of fall sports was made with the rationale to allow campuses the ability to focus solely on reopening safely for their broader university communities," said NSIC Commissioner Erin Lind. "In light of the recent decisions made by the NCAA Board of Governors, it is no longer feasible to conduct outside competition this fall semester. Our student-athletes deserve a competitive experience that provides a greater degree of safety and certainty than current conditions would allow. We believe now is the right time to provide clarity to our student-athletes so we can turn our efforts towards helping institutions reopen and ensuring a safe return to campus to start the academic year."
 
Although the NSIC will not conduct a league schedule for 2020 fall sports, competition is an integral part of the student-athlete experience, therefore, the membership is committed to exploring meaningful opportunities and experiences for fall student-athletes in the spring, if it can be done reasonably and safely.
 
The conference will continue to monitor the landscape and conditions surrounding the pandemic, locally, regionally, and nationally, and make any decisions or announcements, as necessary.