LACEY, Wash. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference management council and CEO Board voted and approved to move forward with conference schedules for baseball and softball, along with spring sports championships on Thursday.
 
In baseball, all five schools (Central Washington, Montana State Billings, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin's, and Western Oregon) will compete in the conference schedule. The conference schedule is set to begin on Friday, March 12, and will conclude with the GNAC Baseball Championships in Nampa, Idaho on May 20 and 21.
 
For Saints' baseball, the season will begin with non-conference doubleheaders against Central Washington on February, 26 in Ellensburg, Washington.
 
On the softball diamond, six of the league's seven teams voted to compete. Simon Fraser marked the lone opt-out due to U.S./Canada border restrictions from COVID-19. The six institutions (Central Washington, Montana State Billings, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin's, Western Oregon, and Western Washington) will start the conference season on Friday, March 5. The GNAC Championships, located in Monmouth, Oregon, will take place on May 6 - 8.
 
Saints' softball begins the year with road games on Saturday, February, 20 at Pacific University.
 
The conference also confirmed the commitment to golf, and track and field championships. A change in the GNAC Golf Championships in both men's and women's included moving the tournament to The Home Course in DuPont, Washington on April 19 and 20. The Home Course will be the site of the NCAA Division II Men's Golf West Regional Championship, hosted by Saint Martin's, on May 6 thru 8.
 
For track and field, the GNAC Outdoor Championships will take place on May 14 and 15 at Western Oregon University. The combined event component of the championship will be conducted May 3 and 4 at Central Washington University.
 
In order to ensure the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches, officials and staff, and to provide the best opportunity to complete the spring seasons, spectators will not be allowed for regular-season home events at GNAC institutions for the remainder of the 2020-21 academic year. Additionally, spectators will not be allowed at the GNAC's spring championships.
 
The GNAC's Management Council and CEO Board will continue to monitor developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and make additional decisions as needed to ensure the health and safety of the conference's student-athletes, coaches and staff.