College sports are shutting down for the time being.
In addition to the cancellation of all NCAA championships, including the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, the Big Ten Conference has announced all conference and non-conference events will be canceled through the end of the academic year. This is all due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Big Ten cancels all conference and non-conference competitions through the end of the academic year and announces a moratorium on all on- and off-campus recruiting activities for the foreseeable future. https://t.co/bBVXWLqzvg
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) March 12, 2020
The conference has also announced a moratorium on all recruiting events, both on-campus and off, for the foreseeable future.
The full statement released by the conference reads as follows, “The Big Ten Conference announced today that in addition to the Men’s Basketball Tournament it will be canceling all conference and non-conference competitions through the end of the academic year, including spring sports that compete beyond the academic year, and participation in all NCAA tournaments and competitions. In addition, the Conference has announced a moratorium on all on- and off-campus recruiting activities for the foreseeable future.
“The Big Ten Conference will use this time to work with the appropriate medical experts and institutional leadership to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The main priority of the Big Ten Conference continues to be the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans and media as we continue to monitor all developing and relevant information on the COVID-19 virus.”
The move comes as sports are being shut down across the United States and world. The NBA suspended its season after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The MLB and MLS followed suit Thursday morning, as has professional tennis. Conference tournaments have been canceled across the country, as have high school postseason tournaments. Arizona State, Duke and Kansas were among the first college programs to shut down all athletics, essentially withdrawing from any potential tournament. The entire Atlantic Coast Conference suspended athletics mid-day Thursday, as did the Mountain West. More conference are expected to follow suit.
We will have more on this story as it develops.
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