Omaha Athletics COVID-19 Medical Protocols - Updated 5/19/2021
MONDAY, SEPT. 14 • 9:30 A.M. CT
The following was sent to the parents of Omaha Student-Athletes from Trev Alberts, Vice Chancellor of Athletics, on Friday, Sept. 11:
Dear Parents,
As I write this, we are three weeks into the fall semester. In that short time, Omaha Athletics has been presented with its fair share of challenges, but I am grateful for how well our student-athletes have been managing the extra demands presented by the pandemic.
We remain absolutely committed to competition for our teams, and we will do so in a safe manner that follows all local and state health requirements. Overall, your sons and daughters have done a very good job following the protocols that we have mandated for the health and safety of our teams and our staff. Still, we have not had 100% compliance. As our teams continue to train and prepare for competition, it is imperative that our student-athletes, whether on campus or off, wear their masks and social distance as directed by campus, city and county health officials. Through such diligence, we will return to competition quickly and safely. We ask for your help in encouraging your sons and daughters to be 100% compliant.
Our athletic training staff has done an outstanding job with COVID-19 testing for all of our student-athletes. Below is a timeline and results for our testing so far:
August 21, 2020
- 135 student-athletes were tested
- Three positives returned (1 men’s soccer, 1 women’s soccer, 1 women’s basketball)
- 17 additional student-athletes were placed in quarantine
- 2.2% positivity rate
August 28, 2020
- 129 student-athletes were tested
- 13 positives returned (3 men’s basketball, 2 softball, 3 volleyball, 4 baseball, 1 hockey)
- 28 additional student-athletes were placed in quarantine; 29 additional student-athletes who we were unable to determine if they were in close contact but were not wearing a mask during voluntary unsupervised workouts
- 10.1% positivity rate
Overall, our positivity rate is 6.1% which is less than Douglas County. Some of these positive cases have been traced to their home areas which then led to infections among roommates. Some have been traced to teammates getting together outside of the Sapp Fieldhouse or Baxter Arena. Thirteen of the positives have been asymptomatic, and three did have very mild symptoms that the student-athlete did not think much about due to a history of allergies and general soreness from working out.
Our hockey conference, the NCHC, recently announced that play would begin on or after Nov. 20 to allow for proper medical protocols to be put in place at all eight member schools. The other 10 NCAA Division I hockey conferences nationally are doing the same. The Summit League is working hard to create spring schedules for our fall sports that have been postponed. It also is likely that the Summit’s winter sports season will be delayed.
Amidst all of this uncertainty, our staff has been doing its utmost to minimize the effect that the pandemic is having on our student-athletes, and we are so proud of this group of Mavericks who have been leaders, setting a positive tone for our campus.
Thank you for raising such special young men and women. They represent the Maverick family so well.
Sincerely,
Trev Alberts
Vice Chancellor, Athletics
THURSDAY, SEPT. 10 • 11 A.M. CT
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference announced today that the start of the 2020-21 season will be delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The move was unanimously approved by the NCHC Board of Directors on Sept. 8.
The NCHC made the announcement in conjunction with the other 10 men's and women's hockey conferences in the NCAA.
NCHC Statement on the postponement of the 2020-21 season
NCHC Season Postponement FAQ
MONDAY, AUG. 10 • 5:30 P.M. CT
Summit League statement on the postponement of fall sports
Fall Sports Postponement FAQ
The following was sent to Omaha Student-Athletes from Trev Alberts, Vice Chancellor of Athletics, on Monday, Aug. 10:
Dear Mavericks,
I regret to inform you that the presidents and chancellors of the Summit League universities unanimously voted to cancel the fall season today. As administrators and coaches, we share in your extreme disappointment because we know you have worked very hard preparing to compete. Ultimately, the membership did not feel as if it could meet the NCAA requirements for the Resocialization of College Sports in order to compete this fall.
UNO Athletics has advocated very strongly to compete this fall as long as it remained safe to do so. As we look ahead to our winter and spring seasons, please know that UNO Athletics remains willing to undertake the protocol issued by the NCAA and in partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, we have all of the necessary resources at our disposal to adhere to the policies and protocols of safe competition. Moreover, we are prepared to modify our plan if the NCAA directives change.
We are absolutely committed to ensuring the health and welfare of our student-athletes. We will not compete or train if we cannot do so in a manner that is consistent with NCAA directives, and we will not expect any student-athlete to practice or compete if they are at all uncomfortable doing so.
In spite of this setback, UNO Athletics will not stop advocating for its student-athletes. Our new goal is to have the Summit League sponsor as strong a schedule as possible for our fall sports in the spring of 2021.
I feel it is important to be transparent with you regarding all decisions made on your behalf, and I appreciate your patience as we navigate this ever-changing landscape.
Sincerely,
Trev
TUESDAY, JULY 28 • 1 P.M. CT
Summit League statement on delaying start of fall sports
The following was sent to Omaha Student-Athletes from Trev Alberts, Vice Chancellor of Athletics, on Monday, July 27:
Dear Mavericks,
I am writing to make you aware of an anticipated announcement from the Summit League regarding a return to competition this fall. Due to the on-going challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic in each of our member cities, the membership has decided to postpone fall sports until Sept. 23. I would anticipate an official release from the Summit League at some point tomorrow morning. A draft of the full details of the decision are enclosed in the attached document.
You should have received an invitation through JumpForward for an all student-athlete Zoom meeting where we will provide additional information, and you will be able to ask questions.
I realize this is disappointing for student-athletes in our fall sports, but the decision was made in the interest of the safety of athletes, coaches, staff and fans. We are Mavericks, and we will overcome this challenge and be stronger for it. I look forward to speaking with you on Wednesday.
Trev
Summit League Fall Delay Concepts
FAQ – Fall sports postponement until Sept. 23
Why did the Summit League make this decision and how were the individual schools involved in the decision making?
• The Summit League Joint Council is made up of all league members, so each school was able to weigh in.
• Each one of us has challenges related to our own campus and our own communities.
• The safety of the student-athletes, our coaches and support staff was the driving factor. It was decided that it was in the best interest of our students to allow everyone to return to campus and adjust to life with the pandemic as a collective group before we began competing.
• With other conferences postponing or shortening their fall seasons, our ability to host non-conference games in soccer and volleyball was going to be difficult.
What steps have you undertaken to allow student-athletes to work out on campus this summer?
• We have undertaken a phased in approaching to bringing student-athletes back to campus. That involves pre-participation physicals, daily health screenings when they show up to work out and the testing and isolation of symptomatic athletes. We’ve kept workout groups small and have consistently followed state and local health department guidelines regarding social distancing and hand washing.
• Also, summer workouts have been voluntary so if a student-athlete is uncomfortable taking part in these activities, they don’t have to.
Have other Summit schools taken the same steps?
• Every school and every community is different. There is not one approach that works for all of our campuses. Every member is doing what it can to keep its student-athletes safe.
What are the biggest challenges to resuming athletic events from the perspective of student-athlete/coach/staff safety and fan safety?
• Our goal is to make sure everyone who is competing or coaching is healthy when they’re doing so. That is difficult when the virus can be spread by people who are asymptomatic and may not know they have the virus.
• From a fan standpoint, we will follow all guidelines for cleaning our facilities, providing hand sanitizing stations and encouraging people to social distance at the venues. Because of current state guidelines, we won’t be able to admit as many fans to some of our games to allow people to spread out accordingly.
What will be the challenges of a shortened season? Will you be able to host that many events in a short span of time?
• By moving to a conference-only schedule for soccer and volleyball, we’ll have fewer games to host, but the effort to do so will be greater because of the safety protocols we’ve put in place.
• We have a good plan for the return to competition, and we’ll continue to follow state and county guidelines should the situation warrant.
• Golf, cross country and tennis do not go by a strict conference schedule and will be able to adjust their schedule as necessary.
What recourse do student-athletes have if they choose not to compete this year?
• We’re waiting for the NCAA to weigh in. The NCAA likely would have to pause the “five-year clock” which allows student-athletes to use their four years of eligibility during a five-year window. No decision has been made yet.
How has UNO’s alignment with UNMC benefited your planning?
• We have been very fortunate to have access to the guidance of the doctors and scientists at UNMC, one of whom is a member of our athletic performance staff. Many of these people are on the forefront of studying this virus and working on a vaccine, so it has been a very beneficial relationship.
MONDAY, JULY 13 • 3:30 P.M. CT
Please find below information on Omaha Athletics' Resocialization of Sport - Phase 2.
Resocialization of Sport - Phase 2 Information
MONDAY, JUNE 1 • 4 P.M. CT
The following is a letter sent to the Parents and Guardians of Omaha Student-Athletes from Trev Alberts, Vice Chancellor of Athletics:
I hope that you and your families are well. From all of us within Omaha Athletics, we have missed having your sons and daughters on our campus. I have some updated information to share with you regarding our plan to bring student-athletes back to campus.
On June 15, 2020, we are ready to implement Phase I of our Resocialization of Sport Plan. On this date, we will welcome our fall sports student-athletes and those student-athletes residing in Omaha who are members of our Ice Hockey, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball teams back to campus for voluntary strength and conditioning. Phase I outlines a limited return to on-campus activities. This phase includes access to voluntary strength and conditioning and sports medicine activities for student-athletes. We will begin to welcome a limited number of student-athletes back to our facilities under a set of consistent measures to minimize the exposure and spread of COVID-19.
- Student-athletes will undergo a pre-participation physical with the University of Nebraska Omaha Sports Medicine personnel. This also will include COVID-19 screening.
- Student-athletes must complete a daily screening before entering athletic facilities.
- Symptomatic team members will be isolated and undergo COVID-19 testing.
Phase II (Will begin no sooner than 14 days after Phase I): We will continue to welcome back more of our student-athletes for voluntary activity continuing to stress the importance of personal protection measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19 but allowing for some additional usage of our athletic facilities.
Phase III (Will begin no sooner than 14 days after Phase II): We will welcome back the remainder of our student-athletes as we prepare for a new “normal” of on-campus operations in the fall.
UNO will continue to evaluate policies and procedures based on recommendations of the CDC, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, NCAA, Summit League, NCHC, and UNO leadership.
Regards,
Trev Alberts
Vice Chancellor, Athletics
Sport Administrators
- Ethan Anderson – Baseball - ethananderson@omavs.com
- Dave Ahlers – Men’s/Women’s Tennis, Swimming & Diving - dahlers@omavs.com
- Lindsey Ekwerekwu – Women’s Basketball, Golf, Track/Cross Country - lekwerekwu@omavs.com
- Mike Kemp – Hockey - mkemp@omavs.com
- Dr. Matt Beacom – Softball - mbeacom@omavs.com
- Trev Alberts – Men’s Basketball - trevalberts@omavs.com
- Brent Meyer – Volleyball - bjmeyer@omavs.com
- Brian Carey – Men’s and Women’s Soccer - bcarey@omavs.com
Resocialization of Sport - Phase 1 Information
FRIDAY, MARCH 20 • 5 P.M. CT
In consideration of the safety, health and wellness of clients, guests and staff, Baxter Arena is closed indefinitely as of Friday, March 20 at 5 p.m.
Baxter Arena Updates and Ticketmaster Refund Information
https://omavs.com/news/2020/3/20/baxter-arena-covid-19-updates-and-precautions.aspx
MONDAY, MARCH 16 • 2 P.M. CT
The 2020 Claussen-Leahy Maverick Run originally scheduled for Saturday, April 25 has been cancelled and will not be made up. The decision to cancel this year's run was made amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus and with the health and safety of participants, spectators, staff and vendors in mind.
Announcement Regarding Cancellation of the Claussen-Leahy Maverick Run
https://omavs.com/news/2020/3/16/2020-claussen-leahy-maverick-run-cancelled.aspx
FRIDAY, MARCH 13 • NOON CT
Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple announced Friday that all spring sports have been cancelled given the current status of COVID-19. This cancellation includes all non-conference, conference and championship competitions for Summit League members through the end of the 2019-20 academic year.
The Summit League announcement comes on the heels of the NCAA’s announcement Thursday of the cancellation of all remaining winter sports championships and all spring sports championships.
Summit League Announcement Regarding Cancellation of Remaining Spring Competition
https://thesummitleague.org/general/2019-20/releases/20200313jhbag3
NCAA Announcement Regarding Cancellation of Winter and Spring Championships
https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-03-12/ncaa-cancels-remaining-2020-winter-and-spring-championships
THURSDAY, MARCH 12 • 1 P.M. CT
Statement from Vice Chancellor for Athletics Trev Alberts
"With the health and well-being of student-athletes, the campus and greater community in mind, the decision has been made to suspend all athletic competition, home and away, for Omaha teams until further notice. This decision, made in light of ongoing concerns over the outbreak of COVID-19, was not taken lightly and was made with careful consideration."
Omaha Athletics and the University of Nebraska Omaha will continue to monitor the situation closely as it evolves. The athletic department is in the process of securing travel arrangements for student-athletes and staff currently competing away from campus to ensure their safe return.
Further updates will be posted on OMavs.com as they become available.
UNO Campus Update on University Operations
https://www.unomaha.edu/news/2020/03/campus-update-on-university-operations.php
NCHC Announcement Regarding NCHC Quarterfinal/Frozen Faceoff Cancellations
https://www.nchchockey.com/news_article/show/1094931
Summit League Announcement Regarding Suspension of Competition Until March 30
https://thesummitleague.org/sports/mbkb/2019-20/releases/20200312l3wnvk
