The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) said Thursday its 96th season will begin “in [the] early months of 2021” and will include only basketball, volleyball, swimming and track and field.
The decision to start in early 2021 will depend on the government’s decisions on mass gatherings and health and safety guidelines on sport events.
Player-eligibility rules such as age, enrollment, grades and playing years will also be relaxed “in consideration of the disruption of the school year and major changes in the education system.”
“It remains the NCAA’s top priority to ensure the safety and health of our student-athletes, coaches and trainers and the general viewing public. The league’s objective of youth development through sports deserves our unequivocal support in order to continue and contribute to the future of our nation and our world,” NCAA said in a statement.
Season 95 of the NCAA was cancelled last March 19 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Affected events were volleyball, beach volleyball, football, athletics, lawn and soft tennis and cheerleading.
Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which announced the downsizing of its sport operations and withdrawal in nine NCAA events, will host Season 96. John Ezekiel J. Hirro