Student athletes in the Atlantic region will be back competing this fall.
Atlantic University Sport (AUS) has announced it is planning to pursue a full season in 2021-22, after last year’s regular season and championships were cancelled due to COVID-19.
“We couldn’t be happier to announce our intention to return to sport this fall,” said AUS executive director Phil Currie, in a news release.
“This will obviously be contingent upon the most up-to-date public health directives, but we are optimistic that things will continue to go in the right direction, and that our student-athletes will be back on the field of play this fall.”
Regular season competition and exhibition games will begin in September with football, soccer, rugby and cross country.
The AUS hopes to release the 2021-22 schedules, as well as fall and winter championship dates and hosts, next week.
The Return-to-Play Committee — which consists of an athletic director from each of the four Atlantic provinces, along with two representatives from the AUS conference office — developed a framework for a safe and viable return to competition.
Planning includes guidelines for participants and facilities, travel considerations, risk mitigation and contingency plans during the pandemic.
The AUS points out that the most current public health directives will always determine how the season goes, and that any planned competition may be altered or cancelled in the event of a new or worsening outbreak of COVID-19.