Concerns regarding COVID-19 have put sports across the country on hiatus.
And athletics at the local college level is no exception.
On Thursday, James Madison University announced it has suspended all spring sports games, practices and training “until further notice” due to the pandemic.
That decision came not long after the Colonial Athletic Association announced it canceled the rest of its women’s basketball tournament, which began Wednesday at the Schar Center in Elon, N.C. The league also suspended all of its spring sporting events, and released a statement early Thursday evening saying an official who worked during the CAA men’s basketball tournament tested positive for the coronavirus.
“The official did not exhibit symptoms of the virus until 72 hours after the game he worked,” the CAA’s statement read, “but out of an abundance of caution the conference has made the involved institutions and tournament personnel aware of the situation so they can take proper precautionary measures.”
College basketball conference tournaments throughout the country were scrapped Thursday only before the NCAA made an announcement that its March Madness tournament – on the men’s and women’s sides – were canceled as well as all spring championship events.
The NBA, NHL, and MLB have temporarily halted its respective seasons for the time being, too.
“We made the decision to cancel the remainder of the CAA women’s basketball championship in response to continued developments regarding the spread of the coronavirus,” CAA commissioner Joe D’Antonio told the Daily News-Record. “We wanted to make sure we are protecting the well-being and safety of our student-athletes, coaches administrators, and fans.”
JMU athletic director Jeff Bourne said: “There is certainly disappointment about the loss of opportunities for our student athletes and coaches. However, we are committed to making smart choices to protect the well-being of everyone impacted by athletic competition on our campus and on other campuses.”
The JMU women’s hoops team had the No. 2-seed for the CAA tournament and was slated to face host Elon on Thursday.
Beyond those Dukes, the school’s spring sports teams of baseball, lacrosse and softball all entered Thursday with winning records. Baseball (10-6) beat Big Ten foe Maryland on Wednesday, lacrosse (5-1) had won five in a row and was ranked No. 14 nationally while softball was 13-6 after knocking off Pac-12 foe Cal this past Sunday.
Spring football practice, scheduled to start March 19 for the Dukes, along with their NFL pro day were suspended as well. JMU reached the FCS national championship game this past season for the third time in four years.
D’Antonio said it was up to each individual CAA football program whether or not to hold spring practice.
“I think in the greater realm of things it’s a matter of priorities,” JMU football coach Curt Cignetti told the DN-R, “and community health and safety are. It’s a game we play and this is the entertainment business. But there’s a lot we don’t know about this right now, so better safe than sorry. I think right now, we’ve got to take the cautious route and so I think it’s the only way to go.”
About losing the chance to perform in front of NFL scouts at pro day, former JMU defensive end Ron’Dell Carter said he’s disappointed, but understands.
“Never could’ve imagined that this was about to happen,” Carter, the 2019 CAA Defensive Player of the Year, said, “but this is a situation where I’ve got to control what I can control. I’ll be working out every day, staying in shape and waiting on a phone call to see where I go from here.”
Division III Bridgewater College had announced on Wednesday that on- and off-campus activities, including athletics, would be halted through at least until April 3. Eastern Mennonite women’s lacrosse was to play Saturday at College of Notre Dame but that Baltimore school called off the match. Hollins and Lynchburg also called off matches with the Royals. EMU was to play BC on March 31 in women’s lacrosse but that has been postponed.
