The California State University system will conduct virtual classes for all 23 of its campuses for the upcoming fall semester, it was announced Tuesday. The Cal State system will not close all on-campus, in-person instruction for the semester, but it will close up shop for just about everything we understand to be college education.
“This approach to virtual planning is necessary for many reasons. First and foremost is the health, safety and welfare of our students, faculty and staff, and the evolving data surrounding the progression of COVID-19 – current and as forecast throughout the 2020-21 academic year," CSU chancellor Timothy White said.
As such, the California Collegiate Athletic Association, a Division II conference comprised almost entirely of Cal State universities, will suspend all sports competition for the fall 2020 semester.
"Based on Chancellor White’s May 12th announcement that the vast majority of CSU courses will be virtual for the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year, and with utmost consideration for the health and welfare of our students, coaches, staff, faculty and communities, CCAA member institutions have determined that NCAA sport competition will not occur during the fall of 2020," read a statement attributed to CCAA commissioner Mitch Cox and CCAA board of presidents chair Dr. Gayle Hutchinson. "The CCAA member institutions will continue to advocate strongly to maintain NCAA championship opportunities for all of our student-athletes, including our fall sports, during the 2020-21 academic year and recommend competition resume when it is safe and appropriate to do so for all of its members. Additional information regarding plans for athletics in fall and spring will be communicated as soon as it becomes available."
The CCAA does not sponsor football, as a conference nor at any of its 13 member institutions. Humboldt State sponsored football as a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference through 2018.
Cal State schools Fresno State, San Diego State, San Jose State and Sacramento State all compete in football at the Division I level. No such announcement was made at any of those four schools on Tuesday, though the CCAA's decision has to increase those odds considerably.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.