With coronavirus cases in the United States reaching an all-time high this week, the Ivy League announced Thursday that it is shutting down its entire 2020-21 winter sports season.
The league wrote in a statement posted to Twitter: “With the health and well-being of student-athletes and the greater campus community in mind, The Ivy League Presidents decide to forego athletics competition in fall and winter sports, postpone competition in spring sports through February 2021.” In July, the Ivy League was the first conference to announce the cancellation of its fall sports season as a result of the pandemic. This week alone, four games involving Top 25 college football teams have been postponed due to COVID-19 complications, and another game had to be canceled.
In announcing its unanimous decision, the Ivy League Council of Presidents said in a statement that they recognized the “extraordinary adjustments” its member schools have been asked to make in the wake of the pandemic, adding, “regrettably, the current trends regarding transmission of the COVID-19 virus and subsequent protocols that must be put in place are impeding our strong desire to return to intercollegiate athletics competition in a safe manner. Student-athletes, their families and coaches are again being asked to make enormous sacrifices for the good of public health — and we do not make this decision lightly. 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.”
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