UMass Dartmouth will not be holding a fall athletics season.

The Little East Conference announced Tuesday it would not conduct regular season conference competitions or championships for fall sports during the fall 2020 semester.

This affects six Corsairs programs: men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, women’s field hockey and men’s and women’s cross country.

The fall football season had already been called off when the MASCAC suspended fall play on July 16.

While the Little East is allowing member institutions to participate in the non-conference competition this fall, UMass Dartmouth announced it would not explore that option.

"The decision to not compete this fall is painful, but it is the right one," Athletic Director Amanda Van Voorhis said. "Our primary responsibility is to protect the best interests of health and safety for all of our student-athletes. We want to provide the best possible experience, and that must be done in a responsible manner." 

Along with the fall season’s cancellation, the school announced that its winter athletics program would not begin until at least Jan. 1, 2021, which would affect men’s and women’s basketball, men’s ice hockey, and men’s and women’s indoor track & field.

To make up , the university said it plans to provide student-athletes with on-campus conditioning and training opportunities during the upcoming semester to support their physical and mental well-being. Meanwhile, the NCAA has granted a blanket waiver that will afford these opportunities without using a year of athletic eligibility.

“This was certainly a difficult decision that the Little East President’s Council had to make, but the safety and well-being of our students continues to be our primary focus,” saidDavid Gingerella, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance. “I share the disappointment of our athletic community that this health crisis has once again denied competitive opportunities, and though this decision is painful, it is unquestionably the right one for the well-being of all involved.”