The Mid-American Conference announced Saturday that its 12 member schools will postpone all scheduled fall contests, as well as MAC Championships, due to continuing concerns related to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The Council of Presidents unanimously voted to take this action with the health and safety of its student-athletes, coaches and communities as its top priority.

As a result, The University of Toledo’s men’s and women’s cross country, football, women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball programs will prepare to compete in the 2021 spring semester.

At this time, there have been no decisions made regarding winter sports.

The MAC has begun formalizing plans for the 2021 spring semester. The conference will continue to consult with its Medical Advisory Panel and will monitor developments surrounding the pandemic with state and local health officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and governmental entities.

“Given what we know about preventing the spread of the virus — maintaining social distance, wearing a mask and hygiene measures — we determined that postponing fall sports was the best decision to protect our student-athletes and the rest of our campus community,” said UToledo Interim President Gregory Postel. “Unlike classroom, residence hall and campus settings, the field of competition does not allow for the necessary safety precautions critical to our Rocket Restart plan.”

“This is an incredibly difficult day, but the health and safety of our student-athletes no matter what the sport has always been our top priority and will continue to be,” said UToledo Vice President and Athletic Director Mike O’Brien. “There are simply too many unknowns for us to put our student-athletes in a position that is not clearly understood. We will move forward and provide the best opportunities for our student-athletes so they can build upon and enhance their educational experiences.”

Information will be forthcoming regarding plans for the 2021 spring season, as well as options for season ticket holders who have already paid for their tickets.

The University of Toledo is continuing its Dialogues on Diversity series with a conversation on the role of Black women and non-Black allies in movements toward equity in the U.S.

The next virtual town hall in the series titled “Sister Circle: Resistance and Resilience, Then and Now” will take place Thursday, Aug. 6, at 5:30 p.m. and can be accessed on WebEx using the access code 160 061 5758. The meeting password is DoD:5Sister. Join by phone at 415.655.0002.

The discussion to be moderated by Malaika Bell, program manager in the UToledo Office of Diversity and Inclusion, is an invitation for the public to join a meeting of the Sister Circle, a group of diverse women from both Main Campus and Health Science Campus who have been meeting weekly for the past several months to promote positivity.

“During our next meeting of the Sister Circle, we invite the community to participate in a conversation about the role that Black women have played in movements toward equity in our nation, how we can truly practice radical self-care, and what we want from our non-Black allies,” Bell said.

Participants will be:

• Charlene Gilbert, dean of the UToledo College of Arts and Letters;

• Dr. Monica Holiday-Goodman, associate dean for Health Science Campus Student Affairs and Diversity, and UToledo professor of pharmacy practice; and

• Tinola Mayfield-Guerrero, immersed vocational rehabilitation counselor in partnership with UToledo.

This is the fifth in a series of recent virtual Dialogues on Diversity in the more than two months since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis when a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, sparking protests against systemic racism across the country.

The University of Toledo Athletic Department announced that 2020-21 men’s and women’s basketball season tickets will go on sale Monday, Aug. 3.

With the schedules of games to become available soon, fans can expect to see a full slate of Mid-American Conference rivals and non-conference foes in 2020-21. Last year, the men’s team ranked second in MAC attendance, while the women’s squad led the league in attendance for the 30th straight year and finished 26th nationally.

Season ticket plans are available with pricing options to fit all budgets. Reserved seating in the upper level for men’s basketball starts at $80 ($5.30 per game). Lower Level general admission seats for women’s basketball are only $95 ($6.33 per game). Exclusive discounts also are available for youth (12 and younger) and full-time University employees and retirees.

Senior guards Marreon Jackson and Spencer Littleson will lead a deep, athletic men’s squad in 2020-21. Jackson earned second-team All-MAC honors last year after averaging 19.8 points per game and setting a school record with 99 three-point field goals. Littleson also averaged in double digits at 10.5 points per game and will be joined in the backcourt by 2019-20 All-MAC Freshman Team member Keshaun Saunders (7.7 points per game).

The Rocket women return eight letter winners from last year’s squad that finished the season strong by upsetting No. 1 seed Central Michigan in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals. The backcourt trio of senior Tatyana Davis, sophomore Quinesha Lockett and sophomore Sophia Wiard are expected to lead Toledo’s attack in 2020-21.

Season ticket benefits:
• Order before Sept. 4 to receive a complimentary Savage Arena replica.

• Complimentary general admission parking (Rocket Fund donors receive premium parking).

• Ticket exchange program — swap out tickets for games you cannot attend.

• Discount to Rocky’s Locker Team Store.

• Special discounts from corporate partners of the UToledo Athletic Department.

• Invitations to various Athletic Department special events throughout the year.

• Pre-sales for special events.

For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit the Rocket Ticket Office at the Sullivan Athletic Complex in Savage Arena, call or text 419.530.GOLD (4653), or go to the Toledo Basketball Ticket Central website.

University of Toledo Women’s Golf Head Coach Jenny Coluccio will serve as a caddy during this weekend’s LPGA Drive On Championship at the Inverness Club.

The 54-hole tournament will be televised on the Golf Channel Friday through Sunday, July 31 to Aug. 2.

Coluccio will hold the bag for Linnea Johansson, a rookie from Sweden who earned Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-America honors at Oklahoma State in 2016.

“I’m thrilled at the opportunity to caddy for Linnea,” Coluccio said. “I love to test myself, and this will be a fun test. The experience will be valuable for my skills to continue to help our players in the future.”

The tournament will take place without sponsors, pro-ams or spectators, and the field is competing for a $1 million purse. Practice rounds will take place Wednesday and Thursday, July 29-30.

The University of Toledo is staying connected with future Rocket families with a new version of its Preview Day events supported by appropriate measures to keep campus visitors safe.

UToledo’s upcoming Preview Days, the first of which is Friday, July 24, will offer small, personalized sessions, a campus tour, and one-on-one time with colleges, students and staff members. The summer events were reimagined in light of social distancing and other guidelines in the University’s Rocket Restart plan. Upcoming programs are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 17.

For each Preview Day, future Rockets and guests have the flexibility of attending a morning or afternoon session with representatives from nine of UToledo’s colleges, depending on the student’s interests.

UToledo stands out as one of the few colleges and universities in the region to offer live, in-person tours and guidance during COVID-19.

To learn more or register for an upcoming Preview Day, go to utoledo.edu/visit or contact enroll@utoledo.edu.

The University of Toledo is continuing its Dialogues on Diversity series with a conversation on how the ongoing global pandemic is impacting underrepresented minorities.

The next virtual town hall in the series titled “The Impact of COVID-19 in Black and Brown Communities” will take place 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23, and can be accessed on WebEx using the access code 303401. The event password is DoD4:COVID.

The discussion on the disparate impact of COVID-19 in African American and Hispanic communities and strategies to keep safe will be moderated by Dr. Sammy Spann, UToledo associate vice president and dean of students.

Participants will be:

• Dr. Brian Dolsey, ProMedica cardiologist;

• Gwen Gregory, director of nursing and health services at the Toledo Lucas County Health Department;

• Louis Guardiola, associate lecturer and assistant dean for diversity and inclusion in the UToledo College of Health and Human Services;

• Gabriel Lomeli, assistant director of undergraduate admission at UToledo;

• Jason Wanamaker, fourth-year medical student at UToledo; and

• Dr. Celia Williamson, UToledo Distinguished University Professor and director of the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute.

This is the fourth in a series of recent virtual Dialogues on Diversity following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota that sparked protests against systemic racism across the country.

UToledo is a community that celebrates and respects people of all backgrounds and experiences. As an institution, we remain committed to building an inclusive environment free of racism, sexism, bigotry and other negative influences.

Dr. Chelsea Griffis, associate lecturer in The University of Toledo Department of History, will be featured on a special edition of WGTE’s “BackStory” focusing on women’s right to vote.

“Revisiting the 19th Amendment” will stream live on wgte.org Thursday, July 23, at 7 p.m.

Griffis will talk about the aftermath of the amendment that prohibits states and federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. The amendment was ratified Aug. 18, 1920, and officially adopted eight days later.

“Now more than ever, it’s necessary to reflect on the importance and power of voting,” Griffis said. “Women struggled for 72 years to achieve the right to vote in the 19th Amendment, and we must also remember that many women of color were still unable to vote based on discriminatory legislation, threats and violence. This struggle has much to say about the current state of voting rights in the U.S.”

Following the program, Griffis and others will participate in a live question-and-answer session.

WGTE is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Bowling Green, Perrysburg area and Toledo-Lucas County chapters to create the women of northwest Ohio spotlights, which air weekly on WGTE and FM 91.

Griffis received a master of arts degree and doctorate in history, and a graduate certificate in women and gender studies, from The University of Toledo.

She also will help celebrate the suffrage centennial during a live Zoom event hosted by the Toledo Lucas County Public Library Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. Register for the event on the library website.

The University of Toledo Alumni Association will host an introduction to mindfulness virtual presentation Wednesday, July 22.

Dr. Deborah Hendricks, director of the UToledo Pre-Health Advising Center, will lead the session that will explain the basics of mindfulness and walk through a practice exercise.

The session will start at noon on WebEx. The password for the presentation is alumni.

Or join by phone at 415.655.0002 and use the access code 160 819 7988.

The presentation will take about 30 minutes and will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

For more information, contact Samantha Marchal, assistant director of alumni engagement, at samantha.marchal@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4927.

Ashlie Flegel, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, will be featured in an online talk hosted by Imagination Station Friday, July 17.

The Facebook Live event will take place at 10 a.m.

Imagination Station Chief Scientist Carl Nelson will host the discussion on the nonprofit, hands-on science museum’s Facebook page.

Flegel graduated from The University of Toledo in 2007 with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.

For more than a decade, she has worked in the turbomachinery field. She is researching the icing phenomenon in turbofan engines simulated in the NASA Propulsion Systems Laboratory.

The University of Toledo Athletic Department’s Reverse Raffle will take place virtually Thursday, July 30.

The decision was made to hold the Reverse Raffle virtually in order to ensure the health and safety of guests. The opportunity to win prizes, including the $7,500 grand prize, remains unchanged for all those who purchase tickets.

This event sells out every year. With only 350 tickets available for sale, be sure to get your tickets as soon as possible. You can still win big in the raffle drawing for cash and other prizes, and also participate in the silent auction with just a smartphone or a computer.

Ticket cost is $150 and includes:

• One entry into the reverse raffle drawing, which awards prizes to 58 total winners (the first ticket, every 10th ticket and the final 10 tickets drawn all receive prizes). The grand prize of $7,500 is based on 100% of reverse raffle drawing tickets sold. If 100% of tickets are not sold prior to the event date, prizes will be based on a sliding scale in proportion to the total number of tickets sold.

• A virtual check-in with coaches during the event while the virtual reverse raffle drawing is conducted.

• Six Rocket football ticket exchange vouchers for the 2020 Rocket football season (worth more than $155).

• Silent auction and premium raffle prizes accessible from your computer or smartphone.

All proceeds from the Reverse Raffle will benefit the Toledo Athletic Department and Rocket student-athletes.

Purchase tickets here or call 419.530.5316 and leave a voicemail.