MIAA Statement regarding Spring 2006 Cut-off Dates

As a result of weather, many spring sports contests have been postponed.  A number of conversations and much consideration have been given to the notion of changing long-established cut-off dates.

As with rules that govern each sport, there are rules for conducting each tournament.  These include a specific cutoff date in each sport, at which time contests played to that point determine tournament qualification and seeding.  (Schools may continue to play regular season contests after the cutoff if deemed desirable by the athletic directors involved.)  Athletic Directors keep in mind the cutoff date when they schedule and reschedule competitions for their teams.  To move the cutoff date would create a number of new issues.

1)         Athletic Directors have been working extremely hard to reschedule rained out contests. To change the cutoff at this time could be upsetting to them, as they would have made different decisions had they known they had additional time (e.g. not scheduling doubleheaders).

2)         Those schools that have successfully rescheduled their contests could be critical about granting additional time to other teams while their team waited without competition for the tournament to begin.

3)         There is no extension (e.g. should it be 1, 2, 3, etc. days?) that would be viewed as ideal by most affected schools.

4)         If weather during the extension period caused postponements, then the argument for further extension could be even more compelling (given the precedent of extending the cutoff date).

5)         Schools unable to reschedule prior to the cutoff may present their extenuating circumstances to, and request relief from, the Association (e.g. forfeits vs. "no contest").

6)         Within our tournament schedule, we are contractually committed to certain venues on specific dates. If we compress that schedule, we will have greater problems if it rains during the tournament period, as we also desire to avoid conflicts with a myriad of varying school graduation dates and times.

We believe individual athletic directors who deal with weather issues are in the best position to create a solution while knowing the cutoff dates are fixed. Each school has its own problems with a busy schedule involving exams, proms, graduations and other events. We are confident athletic directors will resolve the problems in the best interest of their own students.

The weather related issues of this spring have been difficult for everyone, but we do not feel that extending the season and possibly the tournament is the appropriate remedy.

May 19, 2006