IRVINE, Calif. – The Big West Conference Board of Directors announced today that Big West fall sport competition will not be conducted in 2020-21.

The decision of the Board to not conduct men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer and women's indoor volleyball for the 2020-21 academic year came after extended consideration of the ongoing health and safety challenges affecting Big West campuses and communities, and the significant resources required to properly safeguard the health and well-being of all student-athletes. This decision does not impact fall sports unaffiliated with the Big West Conference.

UC San Diego's fencing, swimming and diving and men's water polo programs compete in conferences other than the Big West.  The competition status of those programs will be determined at a later date.  The status of Big West men and women's basketball programs remains as previously announced.

"Protecting the health and safety of our student-athletes and following public health guidelines are our top priorities," Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly said. "Despite a strong desire to return our fall sport student-athletes to competition, the Board unanimously agreed that the resources and protocols needed to safely and equitably conduct fall, winter and spring sports seasons concurrently was not in line with those priorities nor in the best interests of our student-athletes and coaches."

"This was a difficult decision, particularly in light of the significant sacrifices our staff, coaches, student-athletes and their families have already made in the interest of public health," said Chair of the Big West Board of Directors and University of California, Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman. "While this decision is disappointing for many, the health and safety of Big West student-athletes, coaches, staff and the campus community continue to be the preeminent priorities for the CEO's of the conference's 11 institutions."

The Board also acknowledged it will continue to monitor and evaluate the current program of COVID-19 medical and safety protocols in men's and women's basketball. Basketball will guide a decision regarding a safe return to competition for Big West spring sports. That decision is expected by late January 2021.

As medical and scientific data rapidly evolves surrounding the pandemic, the conference will continue to monitor developments and will consider additional actions as needed.

About the Big West
The Big West Conference was formed in 1969 and is a member of NCAA Division I with 11 academically and athletically prominent institutions consisting of Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, Hawai'i, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. The conference sponsors 18 sports at the NCAA Division I level: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's volleyball, softball, women's beach volleyball and women's water polo.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.