Financial impact of COVID-19 on college sports: NCAA Division II schedules shortened
Division II sports schedules will be shortened for the 2020-21 academic year, the NCAA announced Tuesday.
Division II football teams will play a maximum of 10 regular-season games, down from 11. Men’s and women’s basketball teams will play no more than 22 regular-season games. Previously, teams could play as many as 26.
The adjustments are made to help schools manage the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes do not apply to Division I sports.
“I applaud the NCAA for this quick action to help schools address the disruption and budget shortfalls occurring in higher education,” MIAA commissioner Mike Racy said. “As state tax revenues continue to decline, and state expenses continue to increase, and higher education appropriations in each state continue to shrink, these NCAA reductions in every Division II sport will assist MIAA athletics departments as they make adjustments to their 2020-21 budgets.”
The schedule reductions include all sports. Women’s volleyball teams can play on a maximum of 20 dates instead of 26. Baseball can play 40 games, down from 50.
There are also minimum numbers of contests and dates for teams to be eligible for sponsorship and postseason competitions. In football, it’s seven games; it’s 15 for men’s and women’s basketball.
The measures were approved by the NCAA Division II Presidents Council, and in a statement the group said the changes were to last for just one year: “Please keep in mind the purpose behind these actions is to assist all institutions with short-term financial concerns so that we may emerge stronger as a membership and division,” the statement said.
The Kansas City-based MIAA said its schedule committee is expected to have new schedules approved by mid-June.
This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 6:46 PM.