ACC announces updated COVID-19 game rescheduling policy

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today its updated 2021-22 COVID-19 Game Rescheduling Policy.

The COVID-19 Game Rescheduling Policy, which was approved by the league’s athletics directors, now applies to men’s and women’s basketball and wrestling in addition to previously announced sports of football, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.

2021-22 ACC COVID-19 Game Rescheduling Policy

In the sports of men’s and women’s basketball, football, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, and wrestling:

1. If a 2021-22 ACC game cannot be played on its originally scheduled date by a team unable to play due to an insufficient number of available players related to COVID-19, that team shall be deemed to have forfeited, with a loss assigned to the team unable to play and a win assigned to its scheduled opponent, with both the loss and win, respectively, applied to the conference standings.
2. If a 2021-22 ACC game cannot be played on its originally scheduled date due to any factor(s) directly associated with a Game Discontinuation Consideration as listed in the current ACC Medical Advisory Group (MAG) Report, the Conference’s sport rescheduling policy shall apply.
3. If a 2021-22 ACC game cannot be played on its originally scheduled date due to both teams being unable to play due to an insufficient number of available players related to COVID-19, both teams shall be deemed to have forfeited, with a loss assigned to both teams and applied to the conference standings.

As was previously announced, the ACC MAG report includes accommodations for vaccinated individuals and institutional discretion to relax mitigation strategies based on team vaccination rate. The ACC has adhered to the guidelines put forward by the MAG, which has met frequently since May 14, 2020, to share information related to the impact of COVID-19 on college campuses and the return of college sports.

The MAG is comprised of an individual from each member institution and includes a cross-section of infectious disease experts, public health experts, campus student health experts, team physicians, athletic health care administrators and a mental health expert.