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Voyageur teams won't play in 2020-21 season

All Portage College sports programs cancelled for entire school year

Portage College teams will be taking a full-year off due to COVID-19.

The College announced on Friday before the long weekend that its athletics program will be taking a leave of absence from Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC) competition in men’s hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s futsal, golf and curling for the 2020-2021 season.

Just a few weeks earlier, Portage Athletic Director Nate Bedford told the Lac La Biche POST that teams would postpone play until the new year — but the update was made after further exploring the best choices for staff, student and community safety.

“Portage looked at all options and feel this is the safest for our College, community, staff, and most importantly our students and student-athletes,” said Nate Bedford, Athletic Director and Voyageur Head Coach of Portage College. “Making the announcement at this time will give student-athletes the best opportunity to make alternate arrangements as they see fit. Portage College Athletics has been doing an excellent job recruiting and planning for the upcoming season."

The cancellation also means that there will be no athletic scholarships awarded to student athletes for the 2020-21 academic year.

Athletic scholarships will not be awarded for the 2020-21 academic year but will be post-dated. If already-recruited student-athletes decide to play for Portage in 2021-22 they will receive the scholarships they were offered for the 2020-21 season. The College will continue to provide support for student-athletes for their educational and athletic planning.

"We anticipate student-athletes will be extremely disappointed," said Bedford. "However, we feel we are looking after their best interests and safety at this time. We do not take this decision lightly.”

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