Athletics and Student Athletes
The CSUN Athletics Department has developed a detailed 10-phase approach guiding the return of Intercollegiate Athletics to campus operations, with safety and health as its utmost priority. With the constant updates and fluctuations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the department has had to be flexible, nimble, and patient. The timing for reintegration is dependent on being able to ensure a safe return to campus for its staff and student-athletes guided by and in compliance with the Centers for Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Office of the Chancellor of the California State University, as well as CSUN campus. All activities related to gameplay will be in alignment with the NCAA and Big West Conference.
At the core of the 10 phase action plan is an exhaustive Infectious Disease Prevention Plan. Supplies and equipment (masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, non-contact thermometers, etc.) and cleaning and disinfection routines for facilities performed by both staff and custodial are a big part of mitigating the spread of infection. Lastly, as part of the Disease Prevention Plan, Covid-19 self-screening procedures of symptoms and exposure will be required by all staff, coaches, and student-athletes before entering any Athletic Facilities and venues comprising a full accompaniment of counterstrategies against infection, leading the entire Athletics Department toward a secure and healthy environment.
CSUN Athletics COVID-19 Action Plan
- Phase I – Creation of COVID-19 Athletics Action Team
- Complete
- Phase II – Athletics Facilities and Personnel--Preparation for Return to Campus
- Complete
- Phase III – Staff and Student-Athlete COVID-19 Prevention Education
- Ongoing
- Phase IV – Establishment of Infectious Disease Response Plan
- Complete
- Phase V – Opening of the Sports Medicine Clinic
- Complete
- Phase VI – Strategy for safe and efficient Campus Pre-participation Physical Exam (PPEX)
- Ongoing
- Phase VII – On-Campus Individual Athlete Physical Conditioning
- Approved for Men’s and Women’s Basketball beginning 9/21
- Phase VIII – On-Campus Intra-Squad Practice
- Approved beginning 10/14
- Phase IX – Intercollegiate Competition, On and Off Campus, without spectators
- The Men’s Basketball season began in November (schedule can be found in link below)
- Phase X – On-Campus Intercollegiate Competition, with Spectators
- Subject to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Approval
As of July 29, 2020, the Big West Conference Board of Directors announced that fall sports competition would be postponed through the end of the calendar year (men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball; fall schedules for men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis). Athletics is poised to move forward when the time comes.
Beginning in mid-September, the CSUN Sports Medicine Clinic reopened. Men’s and Women’s Basketball began on-campus individual athlete outdoor conditioning on September 21 and 28 and were approved to begin indoor intra-squad practices as of October 14.
On November 12, 2020, it was confirmed that the Women’s Basketball team would not be competing this season due to Student-Athlete COVID-19 opt-outs. Details can be found here.
On November 25, 2020, the Men’s basketball team began their season. On December 31, the season was paused following a positive COVID-19 test within its Tier-1 group. Per NCAA protocol, team activities will remain on hold for at least 14 days. In-person activity will resume when it is deemed safe by medical professionals. (https://gomatadors.com/news/2020/12/31/mens-basketball-temporarily-pauses-team-activities.aspx)
On January 29, 2021, The Big West Conference announced the return of play for spring sports. CSUN Athletics has received approval from the university to begin Phase 7 outdoor conditioning on February 15, 2021.
CSUN Athletics is cautiously optimistic about the start of the spring sports season. The health, safety and welfare of CSUN student-athletes, coaches and staff continue to be paramount.
Men’s Basketball Schedule
Spring Sports schedules will be available at gomatadors.com.
Find out more about Matador Athletics