MARQUETTE — Monday’s announcement that the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association was canceling fall sports for its members affects in particular one Upper Peninsula school, Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba. It will probably affect Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, too.

The plan doesn’t actually affect all fall sports, instead only affecting what are considered “close-contact” sports such as football, soccer and volleyball. Those are scheduled to now be played in the spring.

Not affected as strongly are cross country, half marathon and women’s tennis.

Bay College has six varsity teams, two in each season. It offers men’s and women’s cross country in the fall, to go along men’s and women’s basketball in the winter and baseball and softball in the spring.

NJCAA guidelines now allow cross country practices to begin as early as Aug. 1, according to a Bay College sports news release, well before Bay’s first scheduled date for classes of Aug. 17. Cross country teams are allowed 10 competition dates, with the NJCAA Division 2 Cross Country Championships scheduled for Nov. 14 at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Basketball may see the most changes, Bay said in its release. It’s been indicated that basketball can practice for 60 consecutive days from Sept. 15 to Dec. 15, though that is a three-month time period. With a spring championship this school year, season practices can begin Jan. 11 and competition can commence Jan. 22 with a maximum 22 games allowed. In addition, basketball teams can hold five scrimmages with outside teams, up to two coming in the spring.

The NJCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships in basketball are set to begin on April 19, meaning regional and district tournaments must be completed by April 10.

Baseball and softball also saw some changes, mostly to their fall scrimmages. Each sport will be permitted 60 consecutive days for practice and scrimmages between Sept. 5 and Nov. 15. In that time, teams may conduct scrimmages with outside teams.

Baseball will be limited to 15 scrimmages in their fall practice, with softball limited to seven scrimmage dates.

The spring championship season was left relatively unchanged, as teams may start practice on Jan. 10. Baseball is allowed up to 56 games against outside competition, with softball allowed 30 dates of competition.

The NJCAA Division 2 Softball Championship will be held from May 25-29, while the Division 2 Baseball World Series begins on May 29.

For a complete list of 2020-21 NJCAA sports seasons regulations, visit online at www.njcaa.org. Changes to athletics pertaining to Bay College will be updated at www.baynorse.com.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.