Earlier, the ACC announced that spring sports, including baseball and softball, as well as all sports-related activities, had been suspended due to the Coronavirus / COVID-19 virus.
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On St. Patrick’s Day, the ACC made that suspension permanent by canceling all sports spring activities through the end of the 2019-20 academic year. The cancellation includes the halting of practices and other sports-related activities.
Here’s the official statement from commissioner John Swofford:
Following further consultation with the league’s member institutions, and after previously suspending all athletic activities indefinitely, the ACC has made the decision to cancel all athletic related activities including all competition and practice through the end of the 2019-20 academic year. The unanimous decision was made to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19. Each institution will continue to work in accordance with its respective university and state policies related to its individual campus decisions.
“Our top priority remains the health and safety of our student-athletes as well as our fans, communities and the overall well-being of others during these uncharted times,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “We are particularly disappointed for our student-athletes and will continue to work with our membership to assess what is appropriate in the future.”
Obviously disappointing that these seasons can’t be salvaged but that move isn’t surprising given the cancellations of virtually all sporting events in the near term. The ACC was hoping that a suspension would allow them to reevaluate where things stood to see if the seasons could be saved. But in an effort to prevent the further spread of the virus, even small gatherings of people are being put on hold, and that certainly includes sporting events.
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