BYU vs. Grand Canyon (2020) / Photo: Jeff Dalton
[Update: Feb. 2 @ 8 a.m. PT]
There are two main questions to track as the women’s college spring season looms: First, will spring-based leagues be in a better position than its fall counterparts in terms of playing 15s, whether for league or friendly matches? And, two, will teams or leagues find ways to obey Covid-19 regulations but also stay active, whether virtually or pared-down versions of the sport?
Generally, official seasons aren’t looking good for spring club sports, but there will be games. The DI Elite joined the College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) after USA Rugby reorganized last year, and the five members have large rosters that facilitate intra-squad scrimmages – meaning they won’t be raw heading into competition. The first of the DI Elite games occurs on Feb. 20, as Life Univ. (Ga.) travels to Lindenwood Univ. (Mo.), and they continue with Penn State (Pa.) and Central Washington Univ. (Wash.) through March 27. The post-season is currently penciled as:
April 10: #4 seed vs. #5 seed
April 17: Semifinals (hosted by top seed)
May 1: National Championship (hosted by top seed)
Notably, BYU (Utah) has joined the DI Elite and its games against Lindenwood and Central Washington are currently on the schedule. The Cougars also have a friendly against the University of Arizona, and depending on how restrictions go in The Grand Canyon State, then DI GCU and Arizona State could be options.
BYU has gone back and forth between DI and DI Elite, and spent the previous two years in the Pacific Desert conference, which is now split between Southern California and Arizona. The Pacific Desert is also part of CRAA, which hasn’t ruled on a spring 15s season even though several conferences that would typically be underway today are still dormant due to Covid-19. If Pacific Desert’s Division II goes forward with a 15s season, then it’ll do so without its reigning champion, Claremont Colleges (Calif.).
“Unfortunately we are out for spring,” Foxes head coach Roger Light confirmed. “Claremont is staying online the rest of the year as of now. As for 7s, no plans yet. We are still hoping to work something out with the school.”
Pacific Mountain and West Coast are NorCal’s DI and DII conferences, respectively, and they’ve started making calls on the spring season.
“We held our Pacific Mountain Conference meeting today,” PMRC commissioner Ellen Owens wrote on Jan. 31, “and no teams have permission to play matches yet, so the PMRC will not be having a 15s season this spring. We will not be hosting a 7s qualifier either. … Only 2 or 3 teams can even hold no-contact, socially distanced, modified practices.”
West Coast commissioner Tiffany Lopez isn’t optimistic about any kind of competition. The league does have one non-Californian member, UN Reno.
“Unfortunately, it is not looking likely for a conference season this semester – for 15s or 7s with the way California is looking,” Lopez e-mailed TRB. “Many college club sports directors have reached out about not allowing in-person club activities. So we have no real update about having anything scheduled at this time.”
On the other side of the country, similar reports have emerged. For example, Florida’s DI and DII matrix seasons were canceled earlier this month.
“Every university in the state of Florida is not allowing sport clubs to participate in matches this spring,” Florida Rugby Union Collegiate Director Jessie Premet explained.
Florida’s senior women’s clubs, however, have 15s seasons beginning in February. There was an effort to create a U23 / B Side competition for idle collegians, but the appetite wasn’t there (the men adopted the 2021-only option). That said, collegians could play with a local senior club this spring should they choose.
The South Independent Rugby Conference (SIRC) has issues in addition to pandemic rugby, as league commissioner and Tulane Univ. head coach Jessica Mallindine touched upon.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that Tulane or SIRC will be active this spring 2021 season,” Mallindine e-mailed TRB. “Tulane has been approved to non-contact practice but is not permitted to travel or compete.”
SIRC found itself in an awkward position, as the league committed to CRAA last year but then members started migrating to a new conference in National Collegiate Rugby (NCR).
“SIRC is slightly more complicated to explain but it seems highly likely it will be an inactive league,” Mallindine continued. “The conference had voted earlier in the year to continue competing in spring [with CRAA], but a competing conference, [South Atlantic Rugby Conference], has convinced many of them to switch to a fall 15s competitive format outside of [USA Rugby]. I’m working with the CRAA women’s representatives to get a handle on whether the teams fully understand the ramifications of the transition and how to best move forward for rugby development and accessibility, particularly in the Deep South.”
There is much more to unpack in the USA Rugby / NCR situation, but the movement of teams between different organizations could restrict access to each other – for league play and friendlies.
The Blue Ridge (DI), Capital (DII) and Carolinas (DII) conferences are also in the eastern portion of the country. All but Capital (this league plays its entire matrix and post-season in the fall) typically play split seasons – i.e., league games in the fall and spring, and then 15s playoffs and championship in the spring. None of these leagues played in fall 2020.
“I queried our teams, and most of them have travel restrictions and no-contact mandates by their universities. [Reigning league champion] Va. Tech seems to be the most lax in that, but UVa is still limiting groups to 5 people,” Blue Ridge commissioner Nancy Kechner wrote. “I don’t think we’re going to have much in terms of a conference this spring. Maybe 7s, but now it’s a full year almost since they’ve done any contact. I just want the kids to stay safe.”
Mid-America’s DII conference is more centrally located and also plays a split season. League Commissioner Rachel Pate checked in with member teams during the past few weeks and submitted the following update during the monthly GU meeting:
At this point some reported practicing with no contact last season (mainly conditioning) depending on what their universities and local health departments allowed. Moving forward into the spring season, Mid America College Women’s teams have plans to follow return to play guidelines and start with conditioning practices in the next few weeks. There is hope of playing a few friendlies by the end of the season if restrictions allow. Mainly teams are working on rebuilding numbers down from Covid restrictions limiting playing time which decreased interest of new players.
In other words, Mid-America’s active teams in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma will not have spring seasons.
Stay tuned as updates arrive.