The Pioneer Football League's (PFL) Presidents Council has announced the league's schools will not conduct conference competition in fall 2020. The PFL membership is spread from coast-to-coast and throughout the Midwest which poses challenges related to team travel, as well as difficulties meeting applicable state, local and institutional health requirements and COVID-19 mitigation strategies.
 
James M. Danko, President of Butler University and Chair of the PFL, shared the following observations. "The Presidents and Athletic Directors of our respective universities made this very difficult decision after extensive deliberations and consideration of many factors. We recognize that our student-athletes will be disappointed, but our highest priority is the health and safety of all those involved in our athletic programs. Ultimately, the risks of proceeding are simply too high, especially to ensure the safety of our students."
 
Recognizing competition is an integral part of the student-athlete's educational experience, the PFL is committed to exploring meaningful opportunities and experiences for football student-athletes this academic year, if this can be done reasonably and safely. 
 
All Stetson student-athletes are going through an enhanced physical process upon their return to campus for the fall semester, including testing for Covid-19. Like all other Stetson University students, student-athletes will be screened daily, using a phone app, to assess their general well-being, before they are allowed to participate in any campus activities, including in-person classes.
 
Temperature checks will also be conducted with all students, faculty and staff on a daily basis. Anyone who has a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be asked to stay home and/or seek medical attention from campus Health Services or from outside medical care facilities.
 
With no regular fall season, Stetson coach Roger Hughes has put in place a tentative plan to treat the fall much like a normal spring. During the initial phase of return to activities, student-athletes will be allowed to participate in strength and conditioning workouts while following all health and safety guidelines, including limiting the size of groups, physical distancing and wearing masks.
 
All campus activities, including any athletics activities, are informed by CDC guidelines. These guidelines include mandatory use of masks, strict physical distancing and limiting the number of people allowed in any activity or area, including locker rooms, weight rooms, training rooms or meeting spaces. Regular hand washing is being encouraged and all students, faculty and staff have access to hand sanitizer. All facilities, especially those used in and around athletics, are being disinfected multiple times each day to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
 
The Stetson football program is expected to spend much of the fall semester in the strength and conditioning program. The hope is to have team practices in October, if those activities are allowed following health guidelines. Ideally, the Hatters would like to be able to conduct fall practice sessions leading up to a spring game type event, possibly a Turkey Bowl, in November prior to the end of the semester. The ability to conduct any practices that include traditional football contact must first be approved by state, local and campus health guidelines to ensure the safety of all participants.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.