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The 2020-21 Canada West athletics season is going to look a lot different compared to previous years due to the COVID-19 crisis.
On Monday afternoon, the conference that governs under the U Sports umbrella announced revised formats for the upcoming season.
The new formats feature fewer games and less travel in response to the pandemic, which Canada West says has resulted in “significant disruptions to member finances” in a Monday media release.
New formats will be in place for a one-year period, then will be revisited prior to the 2021-22 season.
Fall sports
Each of the six men’s football teams — including the University of Regina Rams and University of Saskatchewan Huskies — will play five games this season. Each team will play each other once through the shortened season.
The 13 men’s soccer teams each will play a 10-game schedule this season, with the Prairie Division playing two games against five geographical opponents.
All 16 teams in women’s soccer will play 10 games, with four teams in the Saskatchewan/Manitoba Division playing each opponent at least three times, with an additional game against another division rival.
Fall and winter sports
Men’s and women’s hockey will also look different this upcoming season. Instead of 30 regular-season games for the men’s teams and 27 for the women, it will be a 20-game campaign for both in 2020-21.
Each team will play two games against the other teams in the conference. There also are additional regional matchups, meaning Saskatchewan and Regina will play two additional games against one another and two each against Manitoba.
Men’s and women’s basketball teams each will play 16 games, but won’t be travelling to the degree they are used to.
Five teams — Regina, Saskatchewan, Brandon, Manitoba and Winnipeg — will make up the Saskatchewan/Manitoba Division, playing each other four times apiece to make up the 16-game schedule.
When it comes to volleyball, teams in both the men’s and women’s divisions will play 16 games each. They will play through a Saskatchewan/Manitoba Division as well; teams in the men’s division will play each other four times, plus an additional four in-division matches each to make up the schedule.
On the women’s side, teams will play each other four times to make up the 16-game season.
Championship sports
Canada West also included the championship sports schedule in Monday’s announcement.
“All CW championship sports will proceed during the 2020-21 season, with championships planned in: cross-country, curling, golf, swimming, track and field, and wrestling,” the release reads.
Playoff formats and conference regular-season schedules will be released at a later date.