Campus News

First part of the release courtesy of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Office

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Council of Chief Executive Officers (institution presidents) of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) today announced that they made the difficult decision to postpone all conference regular-season competitions and championship events through December 31, 2020. Student-athletes at the member institutions were notified on Friday. 

“While we recognize this is disappointing news to student-athletes anxious to get on the field, court, or course in the fall, we look forward to providing a meaningful experience for them in the spring,” said Dr. Eric Fulcomer, NACC president and president of Rockford University. “We thank our athletes and families for their understanding, as well as the shared commitment to meeting the challenges of COVID-19 with the same determined spirit they bring to their respective teams.”

The NACC will share additional details, including proposed spring calendars, in the coming weeks. Even with the movement of competitions, there will still be opportunities for skill development and team building through out-of-season practices and conditioning during the fall semester. Each school will make those decisions, including the possibility of non-conference competitions during the fall if circumstances permit, and share them with their students and families.

About Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

The NACC consists of 13 colleges and universities from the shared-border states of Illinois and Wisconsin, sponsoring 21 sports at the NCAA Division III level. Member institutions subscribe to shared values and evidence commitments to academic excellence, equal opportunity, sportsmanship, and fair play. Together, conference members seek to create a competitive environment where the intellectual, spiritual and physical development of each student-athlete is prized and where the common good of our institutions is advanced.

Rockford University statement on fall sports

ROCKFORD, Ill. – “Rockford University is committed to having our student-athletes return to campus safely, while also bringing back some sort of normalcy to their collegiate experiences,” RU Director of Athletics Jason Mulligan stated. “We know how important sports, teammates, coaches and routines are to this experience; therefore, we are thoroughly focused on maximizing the athletic experience for each and every one of our student-athletes. We plan to use the additional practice and team contact dates the NCAA has given us in order to provide the best possible athletic experience, while also exploring the possibility of non-conference contests.”