Canada West cancels fall term sports for 2020, including football, due to pandemic

There are going to be a lot of empty fields in the U Sports circuits this upcoming season.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of the Canada West season for football, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s rugby 15s and women’s field hockey, according to a release by the athletics association Monday.

The University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina both field teams in football and women’s soccer, with the Huskies men’s soccer team also shuttered for the upcoming season.

In a Zoom-delivered media availability Monday afternoon, Canada West president Clint Hamilton expanded on the decision.

“At every turn, we were getting very consistent messaging,” he explained. “We were not getting a message to return to sport, to competition, in a way to ensure (safety). It was time for us to make a decision.”

Hamilton says the decision was made with health at the forefront, and finances as “a part of the equation.”

Winter sports, which include hockey, volleyball and basketball won’t begin until at least Jan. 1. A decision on those seasons will come no later than Oct. 8.

However, Hamilton was blunt on the outlook for the year.

“If there’s no vaccine, and the physical distancing requirements have not changed across our four provinces, it’s going to be hard to envision us playing a January-to-March season, to be frank,” he said.

All athletes will retain this year’s eligibility, and they will still be eligible for scholarships.

Monday’s announcement on cancelling the fall term sports includes the regular season, playoff and championships. Championship cancellations include the Vanier Cup, along with the Uteck and Mitchell bowls.

Huskies Athletics also announced Monday that season-ticket holders who had reserved seats for 2019-20 will continue to have those seats held and reserved for the 2021-22 season.