U SPORTS, the national brand of university sports in Canada, announced the cancellation of its six 2020 fall national championships and modifications to eligibility and scholarship regulations in response to the COVID-19 situation.
"U SPORTS has been working hard with the four conferences, our 56 member institutions and medical experts to examine the feasibility of delivering the fall national championships this season," said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, U SPORTS Chief Sport Officer. "Taking into account the academic realities of university sport, we arrived at a point where a tough decision had to be made."
The decision comes as a result of the on-going uncertainties with student-athlete health and safety, travel and public health restrictions that affect parts of the country and different curriculum delivery models being proposed on the campus of its 56 member universities.
The affected championships include the sports of women's field hockey, men's and women's cross country running, men's and women's soccer, women's rugby and football including the national semifinals (Mitchell and Uteck Bowls) and the Vanier Cup. The hosts of the cancelled fall 2020 national championships will have the opportunity to host in future years.
As a national multisport organization that is based in an academic setting, U SPORTS made changes to exemptions and qualifications pertaining to athletic scholarships (officially known as Athletic Financial Awards or AFAs) and eligibility.
A full list of the Eligibility and AFA regulations for 2020 can be found in the COVID-19 section of the U SPORTS website
with files from Canadian Press