With the announcement on Wednesday that Stetson University's DeLand campus has moved back into Tier 2 level activities, allowing for greater freedom for our students, faculty and staff, Stetson Athletics also moved into Phase 2 of Athletics activities, moving a step closer to the return of athletics competitions.
 
Stetson's men's and women's basketball programs have been in Phase 3 of Athletics' Resocialization to Sport Plan, which allows normal athletic activity, including regular team practices and competition. All of the other Stetson sports have been working through the Phased return to activity and were elevated to Phase 2, which allows for increased activity, both indoors and outside, but not competition.
 
The teams in Phase 3 will increase this weekend with the women's tennis team, which is among the sports considered to be low risk for transmitting the Covid-19 virus through competition, and women's volleyball team, which is considered to be an intermediate risk sport, both beginning their seasons.
 
Women's tennis will host its first event on Saturday at the Mandy Stoll Tennis Center, hosting Florida National at 3 p.m. Volleyball will open its season on Sunday afternoon when the Hatters host Florida Atlantic at the Edmunds Center at 4 p.m.
 
The rest of Stetson's sports are expected to be approved for a move into Phase 3 activities on Tuesday, February 2. That means all teams, as their NCAA and conference guidelines allow, will be eligible to return to normal practice and training activities in preparation for their upcoming spring seasons.
 
All student-athletes are required to have had at least two negative tests for Covid-19 before participating in any outside activities and all athletes, coaches and staff will go through rigorous screening and testing protocols, based on the increased contact risks and overall health of each team.
 
As an important part of this move to Phase 3 of athletic activity, it is important to note that, while not engaged with coach-led athletic activities, Stetson student-athletes remain under the University's Tier 2 and its guidelines for activities outside of athletics. As part of Tier 2, face coverings are required at all time when in the company of others or in public, limits must be maintained with regard to the number of people allowed in a room at one time and physical distancing must be maintained.
 
In addition to the women's tennis and indoor volleyball teams beginning competition this weekend, men's tennis and men's golf will begin play next week with men's and women's soccer scheduled to start the following week. Stetson's women's golf and cross country teams are scheduled to compete for the first time on February 15 and 16 and Hatters' baseball is scheduled to open its season on February 19, with women's lacrosse slated to start the next day.
 
Stetson other sports – beach volleyball and softball – are schedule to begin by the end of February with the rowing teams starting on March 6 and the Hatters' football program slated to be the last to join the party, with its season-opener scheduled for March 13.
 
At this point, only a limited number of fans are allowed to attend events in the Edmunds Center (men's and women's basketball and volleyball). Fans are not yet allowed at other venues.
 
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.