Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) is proud to announce its commitment to running all athletic programs at the College for the 2021-22 academic year. This announcement comes after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the fall 2020 seasons for Yellowjacket Football, Volleyball, and Soccer. As the fall 2021 athletic seasons kick off, the College is also looking forward to welcoming students back to campus with a full slate of in-person, hybrid, and online classes to meet the needs of our diverse student body.
RCTC currently offers eight varsity sports with three competing in the fall, three competing in the winter, and two in the spring. The fall sports season would include a return to the field for the RCTC Soccer and Football teams, as well as a return to the court for the Yellowjacket Volleyball team. The winter and spring sports of Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Wrestling, Baseball, and Fastpitch Softball are also scheduled to move forward.
The College, led by President Jeffery Boyd and his cabinet, has been on the forefront of Return to Play planning within the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC). The College committed to and is continuing to compete in all winter and spring sports during the 2021 spring semester following all necessary safety protocols to keep athletes and coaches safe.
“RCTC is incredibly proud of its rich athletic history, and we are very pleased to see our student athletes re-engage in the sports they love to play,” said Teresa Brown, Ph.D., RCTC’s Vice President of Student Affairs.
The Yellowjacket basketball teams and wrestling team are well into their seasons, while the softball and baseball teams are beginning their preseason practice schedules. RCTC Athletics continues to work with the Minnesota Department of Health, Mayo Clinic Athletic Training, and RCTC Leadership to ensure the safety of our student-athletes is at the forefront of our decisions to move forward with athletic competition. “We are extremely grateful for the work of our athletic training staff, led by Head Athletic trainer Greg Holm, and the campus COVID response team in putting together a Return to Play plan that has made the safety of our students’ top priority, while at the same time allowing us to move forward with practice and competition,” said RCTC Athletic Director Mike Lester.
“Robust athletic offerings are an integral part of a college experience, and I am looking forward to seeing all our talented athletes back on the field and court soon,” said Jeffery Boyd, Ed.D. “We will of course continue to monitor the ongoing pandemic situation and be ready to alter course should the situation warrant—but we are hopeful that the worst is behind us.” RCTC has been diligently following all guidelines and best practices regarding masking, social distancing, and sanitation since the pandemic began in March of 2020. This rigor will continue until the threat of COVID has passed.
Lester continued, “We are thankful to Dr. Boyd and the Administration for their leadership, commitment, and dedication to moving forward with preparations and planning to offer our full slate of athletic activities in 2021-22.”
Student athletes interested in competing on the eight Yellowjacket teams should complete the online questionnaire at rctcyellowjackets.com. Students interested in applying to RCTC for summer and fall semesters should visit rctc.edu/apply. For additional information about RCTC’s ongoing efforts to safeguard against COVID-19, please visit rctc.edu/coronavirus.
For additional information about RCTC’s Return to Play plan and commitment, please contact Mike Lester, RCTC’s Director of Athletics at 507-285-7254, or email at mike.lester@rctc.edu.