Three state college leagues have chimed in on the coronavirus scare with the best interest of student-athletes and fans in mind, each joining a sports world that has gone dark in the last few days.
The Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference announced they are shutting down spring sports for the remainder of the semester.
That includes baseball, softball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s volleyball, men’s tennis and women’s bowling.
On Thursday, the NCAA canceled all winter and spring championships over health concerns. The local conferences’ response is an extension of that decision.
The PSAC said any nonconference events to which teams already have traveled will be left up to “institutional discretion” through Sunday. After that, all competition must stop.
The league also noted that all “countable related athletic activities” also are suspended until March 30. That includes all team activities such as practices, weight-room sessions and meetings.
The PAC designated it is suspending indefinitely all “varsity athletically-related activities.”
It said member schools can determine on their own whether to wipe out intramurals and recreational on-campus activities.
The AMCC said its commissioner, Donna Ledwin, “will work with the Division III Commissioners Association and the NCAA to secure appropriate participation waivers for spring sport student-athletes as well as sport sponsorship and minimum contest waivers for member institutions.”
Statement from Athletic Director Chris Snyder about the cancellation of the spring sports season. pic.twitter.com/lQXeCLrEUn
— SHUGriffin Athletics (@GriffinsSports) March 13, 2020
