Alaska Nanooks opt out of hockey, basketball seasons

December 11, 2020

University of Alaska Fairbanks Chancellor Dan White announced today that the Alaska Nanooks hockey and basketball teams will not compete in their conferences’ postponed and abbreviated seasons.

The decision comes a month after UAF announced it would leave the door open to competition in the sports. At the time, White noted that UAF would continue to evaluate conditions and determine whether it was safe to play when the season approached. Since then, pandemic conditions nationally and in Alaska have not improved and, in many cases, are worse.

“The health and safety of our student-athletes is paramount,” White said in a message to the UAF community. “Participation in indoor contact sports like basketball and hockey creates elevated risk to the athletes and those who train and travel with them.”

The decision affects the Nanooks’ hockey team, as well both men’s and women’s basketball teams. UAF is still hoping that teams in lower-risk, non-contact sports like rifle, swimming and cross-country skiing, will be able to complete their seasons.

While student-athletes will not be competing, their scholarships will remain in place so that they can continue their studies. Under NCAA rules established during the pandemic, student-athletes’ eligibility will be extended by a year so they are still able to compete for a full four years.

“We were all hoping that conditions would improve so that our teams could compete,” Champagne said. For these team contact sports, he said, the safety risk proved too high.

“While we know our teams are disappointed about not being able to compete, our first job is to provide a safe training and competition environment,” he said. “This decision, while difficult, helps protect the health of our student-athletes and paves the way for a successful return to play next season.”

NOTE TO EDITORS: A recording of a press briefing with White and Champagne is available for download at http://bit.ly/uaf-press-download.