:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67034146/EPp8lDqVAAAsOkv.0.jpeg)
The Ivy League dealt the first card in the mess that will be the 2020-2021 NCAA sports season. Today the league announced that the fall sports are officially cancelled, but there is some hope of a season in the spring. They have said that winter sports will be determined at a later date but sources are saying they will not start before January 1st no matter what and a decision should be expected later this month.
For the Boston area this only currently affects Harvard but with the Beanpot and so many games between Hockey East and the ECAC this is certain to change a number of local schedules.
While there is no indication of any other conferences making wholesale changes at this time, the situation bears monitoring as the rumors are swirling about ECAC members Union and RPI following the Ivy’s lead which could put the rest of the ECAC in a tough situation.
UPDATE 09July2020
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has announced no games before September 1 as reported on BC Interruption. Practices will be allowed at this time but it is uncertain if this will extend into the traditional timeline of hockey, late September early October. This only affects Boston College for both mens and women's hockey, and Syracuse just for womens in any regard.
UPDATE 10July2020
Per the New England Girls Hockey Report St. Lawrences women’s hockey will not return to campus before January. This along side the Ivies and two other ECAC members considering the same policy leads to major questions about whether or not hockey will be played again in 2020.
Also one the table is a conference only slate which has been adopted for the fall in the Big 10, and is also expected to be adopted by the ACC. Whether any hockey conferences will follow suit has not been determined yet.