Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Athletics

Please note: Information will be added to this page as appropriate (last updated August 16 at 7:20pm)

1. Will there be fall sports?
Rensselaer will not be competing in fall intercollegiate athletics. Fall sports teams include men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, football, golf, men’s and women’s soccer, and men's and women's tennis.

2. Will fall athletes return early to begin pre-season?
No, fall student-athletes will arrive on campus with other students.

3. Will athletic teams that are not competing continue to function as teams? Will they have coaches?
It is expected that coaches will be permitted to engage with their teams and student-athletes. We anticipate the opportunity to participate in individual and small group workouts (10 total individuals maximum) with members of our coaching staffs. 

4. Will there be different rules for contact and non-contact sports? 
At this time rules for fall sports programs will be the same for all sports. Teams will practice in small groups to begin and progress through various phases that will increase the number of participants and activities.

5. What will the athletic experience be like for the fall semester?
All student-athletes will continue to be provided with workout plans, academic and personal support, and leadership development opportunities by our strength & conditioning staff and coaching staffs. Regardless of their location, they will be able to have athletic-related meetings online with coaches. Student-athletes not returning to campus for the fall semester will not be permitted to participate in individual or small group in-person workouts. All activities will be held in accordance with federal, state, local, and institutional safety guidelines.

6. How will practicing affect NCAA eligibility?
While practicing normally triggers a season of NCAA eligibility in Division III, student-athletes would not use a season of eligibility in the Fall of 2020 because the team will not compete. Student-athletes who are enrolled full-time during the Fall of 2020 are considered to have used a semester within the permissible 10 semesters allowed by the NCAA in which to complete their four seasons of participation. An NCAA waiver will be considered for any student-athlete who may need to exceed 10 semesters of eligibility as a result of circumstances beyond their control.

7. Can a coach engage in athletically related activity with their student-athlete if the institution does not sponsor competition for fall sports in 2020?
Yes, provided that the athletically related activity is within the declared playing season.

8. If a student-athlete engages in athletically related activity within the declared playing season in which no outside competition will be conducted, will the student-athlete be charged with a season of participation?
No. A student-athlete is only charged with a season of participation when the student-athlete participates (practices or competes) during or after the first contest in the traditional segment. If the student-athlete's engagement in athletically related activity does not include outside competition, the student-athlete may practice without being charged with a season of participation

9. Will a leave of absence be necessary to stay on track from an NCAA eligibility perspective?
No. A leave of absence is not necessary. Because Rensselaer is not competing in the Fall of 2020, a student-athlete is not using a season of eligibility. Student-athletes have 10 full-time semesters to complete four seasons of participation in a sport. An NCAA waiver will be considered for any student-athlete who may need to exceed 10 semesters of eligibility as a result of circumstances beyond their control.

10. How will the women’s and men’s hockey teams be affected?
The first dates of practice and competition for the hockey teams, both of which play at the Division I level, have yet to be determined.

11. Can women's and men's hockey student-athletes elect not to participate in their sport due to concerns about COVID-19? What are the scholarship ramifications should they opt out?
All student-athletes are allowed to opt out of participation due to concerns about contracting COVID-19. If a student-athlete chooses to opt out, that individual’s athletics scholarship commitment will be honored by Rensselaer.

12. When will students know if winter and spring sports are happening?
Men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming & diving and men's and women's indoor track & field will not engage in competition in the Fall of 2020. The decision to participate in intercollegiate athletic competitions during the Spring of 2021 will be made at an appropriate time, and will be informed by an evaluation of the state of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

13. Will spring sports have the opportunity to engage in their non-traditional seasons?
The decision regarding non-traditional seasons has yet to be determined, but the goal is to provide those programs (baseball, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, softball) the opportunity to do so. In the event the non-traditional seasons are allowed, all Institute guidelines will be followed, including no competition. The department has instituted a COVID-19 Action Team which will assess the feasibility.

14. Are all student-athletes allowed to participate with their teams this fall?
Students who are permitted back on campus as per the Return to Campus-Based Operations Plan released on June 30 are allowed to participate with their teams. Those who are not permitted back on campus, such as sophomores in the fall semester, are not.

15. Will all student-athletes be allowed to participate with their teams in the spring?
As per the Return to Campus-Based Operations Plan released on June 30, students who are permitted back on campus will be allowed to participate with their teams. Those who are not permitted back on campus, such as juniors in the Spring 2021 semester, will not.

16. Will sophomores who return to campus in the spring be provided housing?
Yes. Sophomore housing is a requirement at Rensselaer and students will be provided space in an Institute-provided space.

17. What about student-athletes whose seasons cover both semesters, such as men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming & diving and men's and women's track & field? Will they be permitted to participate in both semesters?
As per the Return to Campus-Based Operations Plan released on June 30, sophomores will not be permitted to participate in the fall semester, but could do so in the spring. Juniors could participate in the fall, but not the spring.

18. How are student-athlete class years determined?
Student-athlete class years are determined by the cohort with which they entered the Institute in their first years. 

19. What athletic training, strength & conditioning, and locker rooms will be available?
It is expected that rooms within the athletic facilities will be available to students on a small group, limited basis. Appointments may be necessary and protocols will be implemented. All rooms will have enhanced daily cleaning protocols in place.

20. What about recreational and intramural activities?
The recreation and intramural programs will be in complete alignment with federal, state, county, and institutional health and safety policies and protocols for testing, tracing, tracking, treatment, and quarantine or isolation as necessary.

21. Are there other Division III colleges, universities and/or conferences that have altered their fall semester varsity athletics programs/seasons?
Yes. As of July 23, nearly 50 schools and 22 conferences have canceled, suspended or postponed competition for the Fall of 2002, including Bowdoin, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western Reserve, MIT, Mount Holyoke, Sarah Lawrence, Swarthmore, UMass Boston, Union, Wellesley, Wesleyan and Williams.

22. Are there Division I programs, specifically those that could have an impact on Rensselaer's hockey teams, that have altered their fall semester varsity athletics programs?
Yes. The Ivy League announced on July 8 that its schools will not participate in any competition until January 1, 2021, at the earliest. Rensselaer competes against many of those schools (Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth Harvard, Princeton and Yale) as members of ECAC Hockey.

23. What guidance can be provided regarding the announcement from DHS/ICE as it pertains to Fall 2020 return to campus?
Rensselaer's International Services for Students and Scholars (ISSS) office is consulting with Rensselaer's senior leadership and will be communicating guidance to students. ISSS will send a message to current students and information will be updated by clicking HERE and on the RPI COVID-19 International Student page and ISSS COVID-19 page.

24. What if I have a concern about how Rensselaer Athletics is handling its return-to-sports procedures?
The NCAA has established a phone number and email to allow student-athletes, parents or others to report potential return-to-sport concerns. The Association will notify school and conference administrators, who are expected to review and address concerns. Concerned individuals can call toll free 833-661-CV19 (2819) or email covidconcerns@ncaa.org with the name of the NCAA member institution, sport and brief summary of the concern.