NCC athletics has been quiet during the fall semester after the NCAA postponed D-III fall sporting events to the spring with no championship events. In the meantime, athletes at NCC have been participating in team activities under health and safety protocols.
On Oct. 28, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Athletics Martin Sauer sent an update via email about the latest spread of COVID-19 on campus and how it has significantly increased.
“Accordingly, the athletic department is suspending all practices, conditioning sessions, meetings and other team activities until Friday, Nov. 6,” said Sauer. “The health and safety of our student-athletes have been our top priority.”
NCC is currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. As of Oct. 28, there have been 67 confirmed COVID-19 test results on campus. Across Illinois, there has been a rise in COVID-19 positivity rates, where Naperville has recorded the most cases in DuPage County.
With this exposure to COVID-19, the NCC athletic department will implement additional measures.
These include “further expansion of COVID testing, a deep cleaning and sanitation of our athletics facilities,” said Sauer. It will also “reinforce with our student-athletes, coaches and staff the importance of compliance with regard to the College’s policies, procedures and guidelines both on and off-campus.”
The athletic department will reassess a return to team activities, practices and conditioning closer to Nov. 6 and will provide updates. In the meantime, the athletic facilities will remain open and the campus community must follow all health and safety protocols.
“The measures that have been taken are the two deep cleans every day, masks must be on at all times, temperature checks, wipe down all equipment and a max capacity,” said weight room worker Emily Miller, ’21.
