The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced on Wednesday that the 2021 NAIA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving National Championships have been canceled. The decision came after the Columbus Aquatic Center in Columbus, Georgia determined it would be unable to fulfill its hosting obligation due to COVID-19 concerns.
A policy approved unanimously by the NAIA’s Council of Presidents in December states that a championship will be canceled if the host site withdraws within 90 days of a championship. Both the men’s and women’s swim and dive championships were scheduled for early March. Today’s announcement is the first cancellation that was made in accordance with this guideline.
“High-quality, student-focused championships are at the core of the NAIA experience and cancelling is done only after all other viable options have been exhausted,” said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. “In this case, we are simply out of time and possibilities with too much at stake related to the health and safety of our student-athletes, staff, and fans to move forward.”
The Swimming and Diving National Championships were originally scheduled in Knoxville, Tennessee, but had to be relocated due to COVID-19 restrictions.
What about a virtual meet? Keep the athletes in their home pool. Start thinking outside the box for the sake of the sport and the athletes. Roll up your sleeves.