Kevin Sethre, staff writer

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) has voted to move forward with winter competition. The decision was announced on the conference’s website on Jan. 13.

The decision means that Augsburg’s basketball, hockey, indoor track and field and swimming and diving teams will be participating in shortened regular seasons. While there will not be postseason tournaments or championship meets like the ones that usually follow the season, schools who qualify for NCAA championship competition will be permitted to participate.  Spectators will not be allowed to attend any of the games or meets due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Carleton, Macalester and St. Olaf have all decided not to participate due to COVID concerns.

Augsburg’s men’s and women’s basketball and hockey teams will be playing on a seven-game conference schedule that starts on Saturday, Feb. 6. In addition, these teams were given the option to schedule up to four non-conference matchups starting on Jan. 29.  It will be a single round-robin format, and the team who has the best winning percentage while also playing more than half of the scheduled games will be the MIAC champion and will automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

In order to participate in a winter sports season safely, athletes who have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days are required to be tested three times a week. Teams will continue to follow the guidelines set in place by Augsburg such as wearing masks and following capacity guidelines around campus.