Six GNAC schools won’t play basketball this season

PORTLAND — The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced Friday that it plans to move forward with modified conference-only men’s and women’s basketball schedules beginning in January.

Central Washington, Western Washington, Western Oregon, Alaska Anchorage, Montana State Billings, and Simon Fraser have decided they will not participate in the conference basketball season for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement impacts several players from Southwest Washington, including Cameron Cranston (Union HS, Western Oregon), Mason Oberg (Union HS, Western Washington), Cassidy Gardner (Prairie HS, Central Washington) and Taylor Stephens (La Center HS, Central Washington).

Four teams — Alaska Fairbanks, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin’s and Seattle Pacific — have indicated that they will participate. That’s good news for local players Kyle Gruhler (Skyview HS, Northwest Nazarene, Haley Hanson (Camas HS, Northwest Nazarene), Alex Schumacher (Skyview HS, St. Martin’s) and Shaw Anderson (Kelso HS, Seattle Pacific).

“After looking at what we know, and considering all of the possibilities and trends regarding the spread of the virus, we determined it was in the best interest of the institution to cancel our seasons,” Central Washington President James L. Gaudino said in a statement. “It’s a decision none of us wanted to make, but one that had to be made to ensure the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, and support staff.”

The new schedules are being revised to minimize travel and emphasize the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff. Teams will play games on consecutive days against the same opponent in the same location, with games played on Fridays and Saturdays. The men’s and women’s schedules will mirror each other, with two competing schools playing each other on the same dates at opposite locations.

Teams will comply with NCAA, state and local health protocols, including weekly COVID testing, mask-wearing by participants not actively on the court and isolation and quarantine in the event of positive tests or exposure. Additionally, the conference agreed that all competitions will be played without spectators.

The modified conference-only schedules are expected to be finalized in the next two weeks. Games will begin no earlier than Jan. 7.

Teams not participating in the GNAC season will be allowed institutional autonomy to conduct countable athletically-related activities within NCAA regulations. Those teams will be allowed to seek non-conference competition within applicable health guidelines, including games against other GNAC institutions that will not compete in the conference season. Those competitions may not begin before Jan. 7.

“This was a very tough decision that our University was faced with, but one that came down to the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, campus community, and the greater Bellingham community,” WWU Director of Athletics Steve Card said in a statement. “These are unprecedented times, with many challenges, and while it is tough to share this information today, we understand the severity of the ongoing situation. My heart goes out to all the student-athletes and coaches, especially the seniors, where this has now affected the end of their NCAA Tournament dreams last year and now the 2020-21 season.”

The GNAC Management Council and CEO Board continue to look at the feasibility of the spring seasons for baseball, softball, outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s golf and women’s rowing; and the suspended fall seasons for cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.