The following was released by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference on 8/9/2021

• The safety of the MAAC's student-athletes, coaches and staff will continue to guide us as we look to fully reengage in athletic activities and competition with the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

• COVID-19 concerns, regarding vaccination statistics, new virus variants and current federal/state/local health department guidelines, remain extremely relevant as we begin our preparations for the startup of the fall season. Even though much of the country is willingly participating in vaccination programs, COVID-19 concerns remain constant. As a result, the medical staffs of each MAAC member school will continue to monitor any reports of infections for the foreseeable future and maintain best practices related to disinfectant processes for practice and training sites, athletic facilities, and transportation systems.

• The primacy of conference scheduling and championship opportunities for the student-athletes must be prioritized. The championship environment is an essential positive influence for all student-athletes. Pre-COVID pandemic scheduling and championship formats should return with the fall season including non-conference competition as permitted by NCAA and MAAC guidelines.

• Understanding that competition in intercollegiate athletics is a high-risk activity, the MAAC requires student-athletes and athletic personnel (including game officials and table staffs) to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Student-athletes and athletic personnel can apply for a waiver from the vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons only and a student-athlete's eligibility for these waivers will be decided by each institution. Each institution is responsible to notify the MAAC how many student-athletes and campus athletic personnel, broken down by team, are granted exemptions. If the vaccination waiver is granted, the student-athlete or personnel will be required to either (1) submit to regular COVID-19 testing three times per week when engaging in any athletic related activities or (2) submit to COVID-19 PCR testing once per week and within 72 hours prior to any competition including scrimmages and non-conference contests, if the student-athlete or personnel is masked during competition. Each institution must attest that the student-athlete or personnel have been either vaccinated or tested in accordance with this MAAC policy.

• Quarantining, contact tracing and testing may need to be maintained in situations where personnel or student-athletes exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 including individuals who may have previously received the COVID-19 vaccination per an institution's State and local regulations or its internal policies. Further discussion on this issue will be conducted on an ongoing basis over the summer and fall as NCAA, public health guidelines and individual school policies evolve.

• MAAC institutions will ensure that the resumption of activities by a post COVID-19 positive individual is conducted according to current NCAA, NATA and NSCA guidelines.

• Federal, State, and local authorities may still exert control over the conduct of public events in some jurisdictions. The conference staff must manage any differences in their approach to the schools and the MAAC hosting competitions.

• Further discussion and, if necessary, modification of these principles will continue as public health guidelines and schools' policies evolve in accordance with CDC guidelines.