Washington and Lee University announced on Friday that it will not compete in any athletic competition during the fall semester of 2020.
 
President Will Dudley addressed the university community regarding the school's plan for a return to on-campus instruction this fall, a plan which includes policies limiting university travel and visitors to campus.  Considering these measures to keep our students, faculty and staff as safe as possible, the decision was made that athletics competition cannot continue until at least January 1, 2021.
 
The following sports are immediately impacted and will not contest a schedule during the fall of 2020: Men's & Women's Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Men's & Women's Soccer and Volleyball.  
 
Additionally, the following sports will be impacted for portions of their schedule which would have been contested during the fall term: Men's & Women's Basketball, Equestrian, Men's & Women's Golf, Men's & Women's Swimming, Men's & Women's Tennis, Men's & Women's Indoor Track & Field and Wrestling.
 
The Washington and Lee Department of Athletics will continue to work with the Washington and Lee COVID-19 committee, the Athletics COVID-19 team, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, the Centennial Conference, infectious disease experts, and the NCAA to consider any options for competition for fall/winter sports in the winter and/or spring.

"The university and the athletics department have been working tirelessly to prepare for a return to some semblance of routine and the sports we love, while keeping the health and safety of our student-athletes as the top priority," said Michael F. Walsh Director of Athletics Jan Hathorn. "As information regarding the transmission of the COVID-19 virus was continuously analyzed, university administration determined the most effective way to mitigate risk of exposure to our campus community was to restrict travel and visitors to campus, making it necessary to suspend competition for the fall semester.  We realize that nothing can replace the joy of competition; however, our coaches, staff and administrators are committed to creating the best student-athlete experience possible, while upholding our commitment to the health and safety of the student-athletes. We will work through this adversity together and be a stronger team as a result."

Further announcements regarding a return to athletics competition will be made available via generalssports.com when available.
   
1. What sports will be able to compete during the fall term?
Washington and Lee will not be competing in any sports during the Fall 2020 term due to university policies regarding travel and a restriction of visitors on campus.

2. Will fall and winter sports compete at all in 2020-2021?
Currently, there will be no athletic competition until at least January 1, 2021. We will work continuously with the Washington and Lee COVID-19 committee, the Athletics COVID-19 committee, the Old Dominion
Athletic Conference, the Centennial Conference, infectious disease experts, and the NCAA to consider any options for competition for fall/winter sports in the winter and/or spring.

3. When will students know if winter and spring sports are happening?
We know that there will not be any athletic competition until at least January 1, 2021. No decisions have been made about the winter or spring terms yet. We will continue to work with the Washington and Lee
COVID-19 committee, the Athletics COVID-19 committee, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, the Centennial Conference, infectious disease experts, and the NCAA, and will make a determination at a
future date.

4. Will fall- and winter-season teams be able to compete during the winter or spring terms?
On July 22, the NCAA Division III Management Council and Presidents Council passed an amendment to revise playing season regulations for the 2020-21 academic year. With the ratification of these
amendments, traditional and non-traditional segments are eliminated, and the playing season is defined by days as opposed to weeks. This change allows for more flexibility to conduct athletically related
activities with student-athletes. Further, NCAA legislation now provides the opportunity for competition during the winter or spring term. For more information please see the NCAA press release.

5. What impact would only being able to practice or play a limited number of games have on my eligibility with the NCAA?
Under NCAA rules, students will not use a season of eligibility if their team does not compete during the traditional sport season. On July 9, the NCAA issued a blanket waiver providing guidance regarding eligibility concerns for teams who play a limited number of contests, or whose seasons end prematurely. The blanket waiver states that student-athletes will not be charged with participation for the 2020-21 season if their team can complete only 50% or less of the sport's maximum contests/dates of competition due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA also approved a second blanket waiver which permits student-athletes to receive a two semester/three-quarter extension of eligibility if the student-athlete is unable to participate in their sport during the 2020-21 academic year due to the impact of COVID-19 or if the student-athlete's team completed 50% or less of the sport's maximum contests/dates of competition due to COVID-19. For more information on these blanket waivers, please see the NCAA press release

6. What does "in accordance with NCAA rules" mean for activity during the fall term for fall, winter, and spring athletes who are on campus?
As mentioned in Question #4, the NCAA Division III Management Council and Presidents Council recently passed an amendment to revise playing season regulations for the 2020-21 academic year. The length of
the playing season for most sports will now be 114 days, which can be used in either fall, winter, or spring terms. There are not any designated traditional or non-traditional seasons, and the NCAA legislation
allows for competition to take place at any time during those 114 days. The amendments also adjust the start date for practices in basketball and wrestling. Those sports may now begin practice on October 1. Institutional decisions are still being made about whether winter student-athletes will remain on campus following the Thanksgiving holiday.

7. What will it be like to participate on a team at Washington and Lee as a student on campus this fall?
For those students who are on campus and who are members of our fall, winter, and spring varsity programs, practices will be permitted in accordance with institutional, state, and NCAA safety protocols,
including physical distancing. We are working on provisions that would allow for team strength and conditioning activities. Pre-participation forms (medical and NCAA), concussion baseline testing (all
student-athletes), and blood-pressure screening (returning student-athletes) will be required to be completed and reviewed prior to participating in team activities, whether in-person or remotely.

8. What are the anticipated restrictions on workouts (number of student-athletes in a group, length of workout, shared equipment, etc.)?
Please reference the Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation guidelines.

9. Will sports be able to conduct any type of live contact or live play drills this fall?
Please reference the Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation guidelines.

10. Has the NCAA announced any changes to the 2020-2021 sports seasons?
The NCAA DIII Management Council recommended to the NCAA Board of Governors to cancel this year's fall championships. The Board of Governors has not yet reviewed this recommendation as of 7/22/20.

11. When will student-athletes arrive on campus now that the fall preseason has been canceled?
Upper division students received an email from Chris Reid with specifics about their phased move-in dates and times. First-year students will be receiving communication from University Housing with their move-in details in the near future.

12. Will first-year students be assigned the same roommates?
Yes, even though there is no athletic competition this fall, University Housing is maintaining the sport cohorts because teams will still be gathering and practicing during fall term.

13. Will student-athletes who are on campus for the fall have access to the services and support provided through athletic training services, sport performance, and the equipment room?
The athletics administration is continuing to work on specific protocols regarding athletic training services, sport performance, and the equipment room. More information will be provided as soon as possible.

14. Will all athletic facilities be open?
Facilities will be open for the campus community (students, faculty, staff) while observing state and institutional guidelines, including physical distancing. As this is a fluid situation, we cannot guarantee what will be available or when. We are working on plans that will best monitor the usage and cleaning protocol of these spaces. Access to facilities may change during the semester, depending on changing state and institutional guidelines.

15. Will locker rooms be accessible?
Locker rooms will not be accessible. There will be changing rooms available in the Natatorium for people utilizing the pool.

16. Will club sports be able to practice and/or compete?
Club sports will not be able to compete in the fall term and we are in the process of working with the institution on a final decision as to when club sports teams will be able to practice.

17. When will varsity athletics, club sports, and intramurals be allowed to start having formal practices?
There will be no formal practices for any varsity athletics, club sports, or intramurals until at least September 7.

18. What recreation opportunities will be available for students?
The Outing Club and Intramural programs are planning to offer both organized and "do it on your own" recreation options for students throughout the term, in keeping with the Physical Education, Athletics, and
Recreation guidelines. We continue to work with the administration on what activities make the most sense with physical distancing and travel limitations.

19. What is the decision deadline for first-year undergraduate deferrals? Can incoming first-year undergraduates defer for only the fall term?
Please see the W&L Deferral Admission Requests website for more information. Proposals to defer enrollment must be received by the W&L Admissions staff by August 3.

20. If incoming first-year undergraduate students defer their acceptance to Washington and Lee, will they be guaranteed enrollment to return in Fall 2021?
Please see the W&L Deferral Admission Requests website for more information.

21. Are returning students able to take a leave of absence for a term or a year? What is the process?
Returning students can find the leave of absence policy in the Student Handbook. Leave of absence requests must be submitted by August 10.

22. If First-Year students enroll in August and complete the fall term, will they have the opportunity to take leave for the winter and/or spring?
Yes. Please see this link for the leave of absence (LOA) policy: https://my.wlu.edu/studenthandbook# leave-of-absence. After a student is enrolled for a term, then the normal LOA policy and
procedure will govern. If a student-athlete is considering a leave of absence, please make sure to correspond with the appropriate class dean to make sure the procedures are being followed.

23. What is the date to declare the option to take classes virtually versus returning to campus?
A student needs to notify the university that they are returning to campus or remaining home to take classes virtually, by August 3 for first-year/new students; and by August 5 for upper-division students. Please note that virtual offerings are not as comprehensive and could impact the student's ability to complete their degree in a timely fashion.

24. What is the protocol for a student that comes to campus for in-person classes but quickly feels unsafe or uncomfortable being on campus? Can they switch to virtual instruction? Will they be able to get their room and board money fully or partially refunded?
Student health and safety (physical and mental) is the absolute top priority. A student can certainly withdraw or request a leave if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe on campus. If the student is a first-year, then it would no longer be a deferral and they would have to go through the normal reinstatement process. The university will stick to the normal leave, withdrawal, and reinstatement process as much as possible. The student will receive prorated refunds on room and board if they elect to return home because they determine that they do not feel safe or comfortable being on campus due the pandemic.

25. Will fall sport athletes still receive PE credit in the fall term if that is deemed the nontraditional segment of the season?
The athletics administration is working with the university administration to determine whether fall sport athletes can receive PE credit in the fall term. Additional information will be shared as soon as possible.

26. What are the anticipated travel restrictions for students?
The discretionary travel information, which is applicable to faculty, staff, and students, is currently being revised and will be posted on the COVID-19 resources website soon.

27. What is the exact end date for visitors to be on campus (following social distancing guidelines and protocol)?
Currently, visitors can be on campus but we are not hosting visitors in a business/professional capacity. Visitors may only be on the outside grounds of campus/front lawn. There is not a more specific date at this point, but that information will be communicated as soon as possible.


For additional information please visit the Washington and Lee Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources website.