On Jun. 23, Ontario University Athletics (OUA) announced approved structures for the 2021-22 season in a recent update regarding the organization’s plans to return to sport this fall.
The adjusted structures were developed to best maintain the health and safety of OUA participants. They apply to both league-based competition and open G2/G3 championships.
Football, basketball, soccer, men’s rugby, hockey, and volleyball will all see reductions in games played in the regular season.
Key changes in league structure are the addition of a third division (Central) for soccer, a transition to a two-division structure (East and West) for football, and a reduction from three divisions (East, Central, and West) to two (East and West) for basketball.
Men’s hockey will switch to four divisions with the addition of Central and Far West divisions, while women’s hockey will be broken into East and West divisions. Women and men’s rugby and volleyball division formats remain unchanged.
For G2/G3 sports, championships will be reduced to single-day events when possible, and regional qualifiers will still take place for several sports including cross country, curling, golf, and lacrosse.
Championship structures for certain G2/G3 sports such as rowing, swimming, figure skating, and track and field remain unchanged until further evaluations in the fall.
Game caps on exhibition play and training camp alterations are also key principles for the current adjustments in sport scheduling. On Jun. 30, OUA released the regular season schedules and training camp and championship dates for football, rugby, and soccer.
All new structures and plans are subject to change in concordance with regional health and provincial return-to-play guidelines.
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