NECC and Liberty League Cancel Conference Play

The New England Collegiate Conference the Liberty League have both canceled winter conference play and championships for the 2020-21 season. As with other announcements like this, both conferences will leave decisions on outside competition up to the individual member schools. Wrestling is not a conference sport in either league, but New England College is in the NECC, while Ithaca and RIT are in the Liberty League.

RIT has subsequently announced that they will not compete in any winter sports this season. Ithaca’s director of athletics Susan Bassett has “noted that the Liberty League decision does not preclude individual institutions from engaging in athletics competition, and Ithaca College will continue to explore potential opportunities.” Dave Decew, athletic director at New England College, has stated that the school “will continue to look for outside competition opportunities at a more local and state-wide level.”

There are now 9 teams officially out of the 2020-2021 wrestling season: Brockport, Case Western Reserve, Chicago, Cortland, Johnson & Wales, NYU, Oswego, RIT, and Williams.