July 8, 2020 –
The Ivy League Council of Presidents met to set campus-wide plans for the upcoming school year due to concerns of the COVID-19 virus. The polices include restrictions on travel, social distancing requirements, limits on group gatherings, and regulations for visitors. With an eye towards the health and safety of the students, the group concluded that there will be no sports played in the Ivy League until the end of the fall semester. Athletics will follow the school guidelines.
The teams can practice and train provided they are in accordance with institutional and state regulations. The league will issue guidelines in the near future.
The student-athletes will not lose a season of eligibility. A decision regarding the winter and spring sports season, and a change to the fall sports calendar will be determined at a later time.
This situation calls into question the entire NCAA fall sports schedule. Nothing has been announced, yet, but the Ivy League was the first conference to cancel its basketball tournaments and the spring sports competition. Will the Ancient Eight be ahead of the curve again?
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
The joint statement from the Council of Presidents:
“As a leadership group, we have a responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interest of the students who attend our institutions, as well as the faculty and staff who work at our schools. These decisions are extremely difficult, particularly when they impact meaningful student-athlete experiences that so many value and cherish.
With the information available to us today regarding the continued spread of the virus, we simply do not believe we an create and maintain an environment for intercollegiate athletic competition that meets our requirements for safety and acceptable levels of risk, consistent with the policies that each of our schools is adopting as part of its reopening plans this fall.
We are entrusted to create and maintain an educational environment that is guided by health and safety considerations. There can be no greater responsibility – and that is the basis for this difficult decision.”
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