Contact: Heather Benning, MWC Executive Director

GRINNELL, Iowa — The Midwest Conference announced today that it will suspend league competition through December 31. The presidents of the ten member institutions made the decision in coordination with representative athletic directors in order to protect the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, staff and administration, their families, and broader campus and local communities. The Midwest Conference joins a growing number of NCAA Division III schools that have suspended fall and  winter sports.
 
“We did everything we could over the past couple of months to develop schedules, event management protocols and testing policies so that we could compete this fall,” said MWC Executive Director Heather Benning. “However, due to the recent sustained surge of cases across the country, and a lack of guaranteed access to timely and reliable testing with the frequency recommended by the NCAA, the Conference does not feel it is in a position to sponsor intercollegiate athletic competition at this time.” 
 
The Midwest Conference remains focused on providing meaningful experiences for all student athletes in 2020-2021. Member institutions are committed to maintaining engaging and significant team experiences for their student-athletes, which could include opportunities for practice, small-group training, skill development and/or strength & conditioning. Engagement in limited non-conference competition remains at the discretion of individual institutions.
 
The MWC will continue to monitor those factors impacting the decision for suspension of the fall and winter sport seasons, and take action to resume athletic competition when it is deemed safe to do so.
 
The MWC has developed a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document that may help with some of your immediate questions. You can access that HERE.