This year's USA Curling College Championship had been postponed to October due to the global health crisis, but was then cancelled.

All College Tour events until January 1 were also called off. 

USA Curling instead approved the development of a virtual College Championship and Tour, after student advisory group member Jack Schroeder suggested the idea. 

"We hated to postpone the spring 2020 championship and now cancel for this fall, but are appreciative of the support from the college curling community during these challenging times," said USA Curling chief executive Jeff Plush. 

"While under an unfortunate set of circumstances, we are excited to fully embrace the Virtual College Curling Championship and are looking forward to the future of curling at the collegiate level."

Details of the Virtual College Curling Tour and Championship are due to be finalised in the coming weeks, but the eligibility requirements of the on-ice tour are set to be maintained.

Participants must be full-time students at the school they are representing, and also must be members of the United States Curling Association (USCA).

It is hoped that the virtual event will increase the exposure of curling, while allowing student-athletes to compete this year. 

"Virtual curing is free of limitations that geography imposes," Gordon Maclean, USCA College Curling Committee chair, said. 

"One of the biggest challenges of on-ice college curling is expanding the sport into areas where there are schools with on-ice curling facilities, but no other college competition nearby."