Sun Belt Conference suspends athletics indefinitely
Published 8:22 pm Thursday, March 12, 2020
- The athletic facilities will remain empty for the foreseeable future after the Sun Belt Conference announced that all spring sports will be suspended indefinitely due to the threat of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
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Along with not holding classes on the Troy University campus, Trojan athletics has also been suspended indefinitely.
The Sun Belt Conference announced via a statement on Thursday afternoon that all spring sports would be put on hold.
“Due to the concerns surrounding the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Sun Belt Conference has announced that regular-season competitions and conference championships in all sports are suspended indefinitely. This decision was made in consultation with the league’s Presidents, Chancellors and Directors of Athletics to protect the health and wellness of student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans.”
Baseball, softball, tennis, golf and track and field at Troy will all be affected as of Thursday afternoon.
The NCAA announced earlier Thursday afternoon that all winter and spring championships have been cancelled, including the men’s and women’s basketball championships, along with the men’s and women’s College World Series.
“Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. The decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.”
The Troy Women’s basketball team was set to play in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday. The tournament champion would have qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
College athletics is not the only level affected by the virus. Professional sports also continued to take a hit on Thursday after it was announced that the National Hockey League is joining the National Basketball Association in halting their season. Major League Baseball announced that they would be pushing back the start of their season for at least two weeks.