Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many things have had to be canceled. Some of them include jobs, appointments, in-person classes, and so on. But unfortunately, it doesn’t end there. On Wednesday, it was announced that Ivy League schools such as Yale, Harvard, and many more will not be proceeding with their usual fall sports season.
After deliberate discussions, the Presidents and coaches of Ivy League schools have come to the conclusion that it is the best course of action for them to take. NCAA President, Mark Emmert, said in an interview, “All of the commissioners and every president that I’ve talked to is in clear agreement: If you don’t have students on campus, you don’t have student-athletes on campus,” Emmert said. “That doesn’t mean [the school] has to be up and running in the full normal model, but you have to treat the health and well-being of the athletes at least as much as the regular students. […] If a school doesn’t reopen, then they’re not going to be playing sports. It’s really that simple.”
With this in mind, it only makes sense for a school like Harvard — which is only allowing 40% of their “residential density” on campus this fall — would not have a sports season.
As a result of the fall season cancellation, Stanford University had to cut 11 varsity sports from their usual offerings, including light-weight rowing, women’s sailing, and men’s volleyball. This not only affects the school’s sports programs now but also in the future. This is due to the fact that many students who are competitive in those sports have a greater chance of ending up at other schools. This, in turn, means that these schools will lose students.
Although the Ivy League schools are the first of Division I schools in the country to cancel their sports seasons, several Division II and III schools have already done so as well.
There has been no indication by NCAA or the Ivy League schools if their fall season will take place at a later date. However, if they were to reschedule the season, it would not take place before January 1, 2021.
How do you feel about these cancellations? Do you agree that it’s a good choice to stop the spread of COVID-19? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo by Dave Adamson on Unsplash
