The ACC announced today that all activities related to athletics were cancelled through the end of the 2019-20 academic year to reduce the further spread of COVID-19. The decision had unanimous approval from the league’s member institutions.
“Our top priority remains the health and safety of our student-athletes as well as our fans, communities and the overall well-being of others during these uncharted times,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford said. “We are particularly disappointed for our student-athletes and will continue to work with our membership to assess what is appropriate in the future.”
In accordance with the ACC’s decision, Virginia Athletics also announced today that all athletics activities — including but not limited to practice, competition, team meetings and in-person recruiting — have been cancelled for the 2019-20 season.
Cancelled events include Virginia football’s Pro Day and the Spring Football Game in April. The Pro Day is an annual event where Virginia student-athletes can showcase their talent to NFL scouts before the NFL Draft. The Spring Football Game, on the other hand, is an inter-squad exhibition that gives family, friends and fans an early look at the football team before the regular season kicks off in September.
The regular seasons of eleven Virginia spring sports teams will be cut short by the aforementioned announcements. These teams include baseball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, rowing, softball, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field. Student-athletes from these teams will receive some form of eligibility relief from the NCAA, but details on what this relief will look like have not yet been finalized.
The decision to cancel all events comes after both Virginia and the ACC suspended athletics activities indefinitely March 12. According to Virginia Athletics’ press release, the decision was “based on the latest developments and continued concerns related to the spread of the coronavirus.”