Capital University

We understand that you have many questions and will have more in the future. We've tried to answer some of those questions that we've collected and that you may have. Please review our first wave of frequently asked questions as a way to help inform you as we navigate the 2020-21 athletic season, together.

If you have additional questions, we encourage you ask them. We promise we will answer them as fully and honestly as we can, and to update this page as we begin to collect more questions. Please submit your questions to Ryan Gasser (rgasser@capital.edu).

 

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How was this decision made?
Rest assured, this decision was not made without incredible amounts of research and time discussing all of the issues surrounding the impact on our students, staff and institutions. Conference leaders, presidents, administrators, health experts and professionals, and legal counsels made up a variety of committees that helped navigate each institutions approach to a solution and the eventual decision. This research and the discussions that followed have fueled the plans being provided to our conference leaders and the decision-making processes that have been ongoing since sports ceased last March.

Our top priority is to provide all students at all OAC-member institutions the safest environment to thrive in, and to eventually return our student-athletes to their respective fields of competition. These very committed groups will continue to meet, discuss and plan for a safe return to play set for January 2021.

What sports does this impact?
Fall sports impacted include golf, tennis, football, soccer, cross country, and volleyball. Winter sports will also be impacted since competition is suspended until January 1, 2021. Those sports include basketball and indoor track & field, and for those schools that sponsor swimming & diving and wrestling.

What does it mean to postpone intercollegiate competition?
This means that all scrimmages, exhibitions, regular season, and postseason competition for all impacted sports have been postponed. Teams, once completing the NCAA Resocialization Process, may return to limited practices under new governance, which allows for 114 days of contact with student-athletes.

Will fall student-athletes be able to compete in the spring?
The NCAA recently made a decision to permit 2020 fall sports to play in the spring of 2021. The OAC is considering various models that would provide competition in the spring for fall-sport student-athletes.

Will any activities other than competition be allowable in the OAC during the fall?
Yes, the OAC plans to use much of its 114-day allotment for a robust fall season that will keep student-athletes engaged and prepared for spring competition. Current guidelines and strategies are being explored.

Will the NCAA conduct fall championships?
The NCAA Board of Governors will meet very soon to decide this matter. They will take into account the many conferences like the OAC who have decided to suspend fall competition.

Can any competition take place this fall between or among OAC schools?
Not formal in-person competition that we are accustomed to but OAC coaching groups are urged to communicate and think of creative ways to conduct competitions that would be fun for the student-athlete and keep us all engaged and connected. You can use your 114-day allotment to video student-athletes running, throwing, jumping, hitting, shooting, kicking, serving, etc. and issue challenges and competition, online.

In order to participate in training activities with my team, what do I (student-athlete) need to do?
In order to participate in training activities with your team(s), you must be enrolled as a full-time student at Capital University. After successfully re-acclimating on campus, we can begin Phase 1 of the NCAA Resocialization Protocol, which includes specific activities you are permitted to engage in.

How does this decision affect the 18- or 19-week seasons as well as traditional and non-traditional seasons?
For the 2020-21 year only, the traditional and non-traditional weeks have been replaced with 114 days to be used the way each institution wishes to use them. The 114 days represents 19 weeks of six days (factoring one day off each week). 

Does the 114-day rule apply to teams or individual student-athletes?
It applies to teams, and keep in mind that if any individual student-athlete engages in an athletically-related activity, the entire team uses one of its 114 days.

What can occur during the 114 days of NCAA activity?
"Athletically-Related Activities" as defined by the NCAA, not including competition. However, institutions must also follow guidelines of the CDC, NCAA and local health authorities as developed by the OAC Medical Task Force.

 What activities can occur outside the 114 prescribed days?
If an activity does not fall under the NCAA definition of Athletically-Related Activities, those activities will not trigger one of the 114 prescribed days. Examples include student-athletes working out on their own without coaching and weight room/conditioning activities that are not sport-specific and monitored by department-wide certified strength and conditioning personnel.

Can a student-athlete play on an outside team (i.e.: club outside of Capital) during the fall while participating in the 114 days of athletic engagement?
Yes, this is a one-year waiver allowance from the NCAA during the 2020-21 academic year. However, outside competition may have amateurism implications. Student-athletes should consult with their institution's compliance office before participating in any outside athletic activity.

Will student-athletes exhaust a season of competition during the fall?
No. Until there is competition, a season of eligibility is not exhausted. Since there will be no OAC competition in the fall, there will be no season of competition exhausted. 

Do NCAA Resocialization principles need to be followed?
Yes, and if "athletically-related activities" as defined by the NCAA are a part of the resocialization process it must count as one of the 114 days.

Will winter and spring teams be able to participate in practices in the fall?
There will be opportunities for winter sports teams to gather and practice, according to their usual practice schedules as defined by current NCAA legislation. However, winter and spring teams will not compete in the fall semester.

When will decisions be made regarding winter and spring sport competitions?
The decisions regarding winter and spring sport competitions will greatly rely on the success that we have at Capital and across all OAC institutions on creating downward trending numbers relating to the spread of COVID-19. We will be closely monitoring our progress in the coming weeks and months so that we may make those decisions as timely as possible.

When will decisions be made about schedules for fall sports?
The OAC will begin working on updated schedules for our fall sports as early as the week of July 27. There are many factors to consider when developing these schedules but our conference staff will be working diligently to provide details as quickly as possible so that we may all begin planning and preparing.

If a team begins to compete in 2021 and then needs to stop due to the virus, or schedules are reduced due to resocialization and season pushbacks, will the student-athletes lose a season of participation?
If a team does not exceed half of its allowable maximum contests or dates due to COVID, those eligible student-athletes will not burn a season of competition. The NCAA made this exception for this year only. This number includes OAC and NCAA post-season. You can view each sport on the attachment (note that the NCAA is still deliberating dates of competition compared to contests).

If the above-mentioned 50 percent waiver comes into play, do the students retain their lost semester(s)?
If a team does not exceed half of its allowable maximum contest dates due to COVID, those eligible student-athletes will be awarded two additional semesters to their 10-semester limit.

What happens if the Fall 2020 semester is a student-athlete's 10th semester? Will he/she be able to participate in the spring?
By enrolling full-time and attending class (either in-person or virtually), a student-athlete will use a semester under the ten-semester rule. It has yet to be determined if there will be any blanket relief granted by the NCAA under this rule to extend eligibility. Student-athletes may work with their institution to submit a waiver.

If a high school graduate defers his/her initial full-time enrollment beyond Fall 2020, may he/she continue to participate in practice or competition in their sport with an outside team?
High school graduates are allowed to participate in organized competition for a one-year time period  without impacting eligibility. After this initial one-year "gap" year, continued participation would impact eligibility. Student-athletes should consult with their institution's compliance office for guidance on individual circumstances.

What is the NCAA's Core Principles for Resocialization of Collegiate Sports?
The idea of sport resocialization is predicated on a scenario of reduced or flattened infection rates. You will find full details here. The NCAA is continuing to monitor all information around COVID-19. Please continue to check the website for updates.


Full OAC FAQs
 

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