ACC suspends all sports indefinitely due to coronavirus
Atlantic Coast Conference sports are temporarily shutting down.
The ACC announced Thursday afternoon that it has suspended all athletic related activities, including all competition, formal and organized practice, recruiting and participation in NCAA championships until further notice due to the coronavirus.
The news came hours after the ACC and other leagues canceled conference basketball tournament championships earlier in the day.
“This is unchartered territory and the health and safety of our student-athletes and institutions remains our top priority,” ACC commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. “This decision is aimed to protect from the further spread of COVID-19.”
Clemson and Florida State were slated to meet in the quarterfinals of the ACC men’s basketball tournament early Thursday afternoon but it was called off just before tip-off, as was the rest of the tournament.
Clemson baseball had a series at Wake Forest this weekend but had not left yet when the news broke, according to a school official. Clemson softball was scheduled to play at Georgia Tech this weekend.
Tigers baseball coach Monte Lee said Wednesday evening after Clemson’s win over Winthrop that he fully supported doing whatever would keep his players safe.
“It’s tough to comprehend, just the reality of it,” Lee said. “You really feel for people who are dealing with this right now. I feel for our country and I feel for the people across the world that are dealing with it. This is just so much bigger than baseball. It’s just such a bigger situation than that. It’s hard for me as a baseball coach to really put into words what we’re all dealing with.”
Clemson University released a statement Wednesday afternoon stating that it supports the ACC’s decision.
“Clemson athletics fully supports the ACC statement as we look to create a safe environment for our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans. We understand that this decision has many implications on the Clemson athletic landscape but is in the best interest of our community. We will have more information on ticketing and other operational issues in the coming days. The department will continue to engage in conversations on this issue and provide updates as available.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 3:11 PM.
