SAN BRUNO, Calif. – With the health and safety of student-athletes and everyone connected with the West Coast Conference guiding all discussions, the WCC has postponed all conference fall competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WCC Presidents' Council, in consultation with the Conference's 10 athletic directors and Commissioner Gloria Nevarez, made this decision following thorough discussion over the course of several weeks.

"The welfare of the great student-athletes of the West Coast Conference is and always will be the guiding principle in our discussions and why we ultimately arrived at this difficult decision," said University of San Diego President James T. Harris, the chair of the WCC Presidents' Council. "The fall term for everyone associated with our member institutions will be different. We understand this and will continue to plan for a safe return to campus and a safe return to athletic competition in the WCC at the appropriate time."

The WCC remains fully committed and continues to work closely with campus leadership on plans to ensure a safe environment to conduct the 2020-21 WCC men's and women's basketball seasons in the winter. The Conference intends to explore various models for conducting WCC competition in the fall sports of men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball in the spring of 2021. The WCC strongly supports efforts to encourage the National Collegiate Athletic Association to conduct fall NCAA championships in the spring.

The postponement of WCC fall sports seasons and championships does not preclude member institutions from scheduling non-conference competitions in low risk sports in the fall.

"We empathize with our student-athletes," said Nevarez. "This is a difficult decision, but it is the responsible decision based on the available information associated with conducting competition in the current environment. WCC programs compete for national titles and we never want to take these opportunities away. However, health and safety will always be paramount in guiding our decisions. We must ensure our student-athletes have a safe environment to compete and meet the NCAA's guidelines for Resocialization of Collegiate Sport, along with current federal, state and local health and safety measures in place at each member institution. We are committed to providing the safeguards to conduct a men's and women's basketball season this winter. We want to get back to celebrating the  tremendous achievements of our programs as soon as we can, but we must first ensure we can compete in a safe manner."

Discussions involving various scheduling models, gameday safety protocols and a timeline for WCC competition are ongoing and will be shared at the appropriate time.

Statements from Gonzaga University
Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh
"The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in an era marked by many challenges and disappointments; we are saddened, alongside our student-athletes and their coaches, with the postponement of their fall competition seasons. Our first obligation is to keep the health and safety of all of our students always at the forefront of our decision-making.  Gonzaga supports, together with our colleagues from the West Coast Conference member institutions, today's decision and we will stay committed to supporting our student-athletes intellectually, spiritually, culturally, physically, and emotionally as prescribed in the University's mission.  Gonzaga is committed to ensuring that they have what they need to be successful in their academic pursuits and be ready when it is safe to resume athletic competition."

Gonzaga Director of Athletics Mike Roth
"Gonzaga Athletics supports the West Coast Conference decision to postpone fall sports, and we share in the disappointment with our student-athletes, coaches and staff. They have put in so much work and have shown so much patience through all of this that they deserve our gratitude. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought major challenges and uncertainty, which has created difficult decisions. Health and safety are paramount to the process, and we strive to take all aspects of the student-athlete experience into consideration. We believe that, with guidance from health officials and medical experts, this is the right call at this time. We know that doesn't make it any easier for our programs, but the well-being of student-athletes will remain our top priority. We are looking forward to resuming athletic competition when it is safe to do so, and we want to commend WCC Commissioner Gloria Nevarez and the university presidents for their leadership during this time."

Men's Cross Country Head Coach Pat Tyson and Women's Cross Country Head Coach Jake Stewart
"As a coaching staff, our first thoughts of today's news are about the student-athletes who are part of Gonzaga's Cross Country program. We know how hard they worked this summer to prepare for cross country, how badly they wanted to race with their teammates and ultimately know what goals they all were striving for. We hurt for them. But we also know as a group we have to do what's necessary to protect ourselves, our teammates and the Gonzaga community. We all understand the gravity of the decision that was made, and the thought that went into it. Knowing that, we all have to do our part. Our hope now is for our student-athletes to have the chance to grow closer to one another this fall, support each other, and find every aspect of being a team that's available to them given the current circumstances. That's important to us all. We can all keep working hard for ourselves and one another. When the next opportunity comes for us to represent Gonzaga University, we'll be ready."

Women's Soccer Head Coach Chris Watkins
"This is a trying time for the Gonzaga Women's Soccer Family as we hear of the postponement of our fall season.  We are grateful for the thorough care and leadership we have felt within the WCC and specifically our Athletic Department. I am proud of our offseason preparation, the commitment of our players and the continued opportunity to develop and advance our program. I look forward to the next time we can proudly wear the GONZAGA logo on our jerseys at our next match!"

Men's Soccer Head Coach Paul Meehan
"While the news that our season has been postponed is disappointing, we trust in the decision made by the WCC that has the health and safety of our student-athletes in mind. It is tough news to take, but I am proud of the resilience of our guys and know we will be stronger because of this. Our leaders have had very difficult decisions to make during these very challenging times and whenever we are able to compete again, we'll be ready. We'll continue to focus on our academics and keep growing this fall."

Volleyball Head Coach Diane Nelson
"I'm heartbroken for the student-athletes. The health and safety of our student-athletes will always be the priority. We will move forward with gratitude and optimism. We will continue to build our team first culture and find ways to serve others during this time. We strive for greatness at Gonzaga Volleyball and define it for our student-athletes as "always learning, always growing." Regardless of circumstances we can do that. I am incredibly grateful for the dedication and support demonstrated by my staff, all of our student-athletes, and the amazing Zag community. We will get through this."