BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. -- The California Community College Athletic Association tells Action News Now that it plans to return in the fall. But Butte College says it will be the one to decide on whether it’s safe for its student-athletes.
“I know coaches are getting anxious and people are getting anxious to have deadlines and they want to know what we’re doing, but right now we just don’t know,” said Butte College Director of Athletics Craig Rigsbee.
The CCCAA rolled out three different scenarios on how schools can play this season, depending on where the state is in its reopening on July 17th. It says this is the standard recommendations, but individual colleges can opt out if they feel it is unsafe.
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If California is in Phase 4 in mid-July, the CCCAA will choose the Conventional Plan which will allow cross country, football, women’s golf, soccer, women’s volleyball, water polo and wrestling to compete during the fall.
These competitions will be reduced and begin in September and end in November, due to anticipations of a second wave of COVID-19. All the remaining sports will start competing in March and finish in May.
If California is in Phase 3, the CCCAA will choose the Contact/ Non-Contact Plan which will allow cross country, women’s golf, swimming and diving, and women’s volleyball to compete during the fall. All other sports will compete in the spring.
If California is in Phase 2, the CCCAA will choose the Contingency Plan and only allow women’s golf and cross country to play in the fall, while others compete in the spring.
“We’re going to have to plan for three different scenarios and only one is going to happen, but we rather over plan too much then not have a plan in place,” said Rigsbee.
Butte College says it is working on additional plans that include travel, testing, sanitizing, fans, and more depending on the scenario.
“They’re going to want to have a comprehensive plan on how to deal with the safety of our athletes. We all want to play sports, I can give you a million reasons why it’s important but the number one thing that are President and leadership want is the safety of our student-athletes,” said Rigsbee.
Butte College has not decided whether or not it is safe enough to play in the 2020-21 season.