Ivy League Cancels Winter Sports Season over Coronavirus Spike

The Ivy League has canceled its winter sports season over a recent spike in positive coronavirus tests in Massachusetts. The athletic conference of elite east coast schools previously announced in July that fall sports would be canceled as part of an effort to comply with state and university restrictions on gatherings.

According to a report by the Harvard Crimson, Ivy League athletics will be canceled this winter to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. The decision, which was announced on Thursday, may lead to the cancellation of this year’s college basketball season.

In a statement published on Thursday, the presidents of the Ivy League universities said that the decision to cancel the season was motivated by their commitment to protecting the health of their students. The Ivy League is comprised of Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University.

“While these decisions come with great disappointment and frustration, our commitment to the safety and lasting health of our student-athletes and wider communities must remain our highest priority,” the statement reads. “We look forward to the day when intercollegiate athletics — which are such an important part of the fabric of our campus communities — will safely return in a manner and format we all know and appreciate.”

Harvard’s director of athletics, Erin McDermott, informed students-athletes on Thursday during a video call that the winter sports season had been canceled.

“The presidents know this decision is very disappointing and share that disappointment, but the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, and the greater community has to be the highest priority,” McDermott said during the video call. “Intercollegiate athletics is part of a wider campus community and must operate within the same campus policies and framework.”

Breitbart News reported in November that Harvard University announced that they may rename dozens of buildings on campus. The university has launched a campaign to rename buildings that are renamed after controversial historical figures.

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