UNIVERSITIES will no longer take part in the Dr McKenna Cup after the counties effectively voted last night to end their participation.
While the vote wasn’t strictly one on their inclusion, it was on the option of which dates to use for the pre-season competition.
The Sigerson Cup being brought forward, starting now in mid-January, meant that the counties’ decision to choose the option of playing games throughout January effectively precluded universities from taking part.
Counties had been given a choice of starting games on December 14, with three rounds played before the end of the year, and the final on the weekend of January 12.
That would have allowed the colleges to take part, based on the assumption that none of them would reach the final of the McKenna Cup.
However, it’s understood that the primary concern for counties was that, for at least five of them, the campaign would end when the group stage ended on December 29.
They instead voted to work along the same lines as last year, with games beginning on December 29. The group stage finishes on Wednesday, January 9, with the semi-finals that weekend and the final on January 18/19.
It means that Ulster University, Queen’s and St Mary’s will no longer be involved.
The competition will be reorganised into three groups of three, with each team having a bye during the group stage.
“With the Sigerson Cup now being run-off in the month of January it’s unlikely now that our university teams will be able to participate in the 2020 competition,” said Ulster GAA secretary Brian McAvoy.
“Ulster GAA has always valued greatly the participation of Queen’s, Ulster University and St. Mary’s in the Dr. McKenna Cup and we continued to offer them the opportunity to play in our pre-season football competition, even when other provinces did not.
“They have added to the competition over the years and we owe them a large debt of gratitude for this. It will be disappointing that they are unlikely to be in the 2020 competition - but totally understandable.
“I wish them well in their Sigerson Cup preparations and hope that the famed trophy can return to Ulster next year.”