It’s official: ACC cancels spring sports seasons due to coronavirus concerns
The ACC previously announced that all spring sports are suspended indefinitely. On Tuesday, the league announced that those sports are done for the year.
The coronavirus outbreak has officially ended baseball, softball and other spring sports, just as they were getting ramped up. Atlantic Coast Conference baseball teams were slated to play their second league series this past weekend before getting word Thursday of the suspension. ACC softball teams had played between zero and six conference games before the stoppage.
“Following further consultation with the league’s member institutions, and after previously suspending all athletic activities indefinitely, the ACC has made the decision to cancel all athletic related activities including all competition and practice through the end of the 2019-20 academic year,” the ACC said in a statement. “The unanimous decision was made to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19. Each institution will continue to work in accordance with its respective university and state policies related to its individual campus decisions.”
The announcement affects all ACC schools, including Clemson, North Carolina, Duke, N.C. State and Wake Forest.
“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 in a statement. “We are particularly disappointed for our student-athletes and will continue to work with our membership to assess what is appropriate in the future.”
The move includes spring football.
“We support the ACC’s decision,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said via Twitter. “We hope and pray for the health and safety of our players and their families, our fans and those in the Winston-Salem community.”
Clemson, Notre Dame and Miami were all 3-0 in ACC baseball play, while Duke was 2-1, N.C. State and Wake Forest were 1-2 and North Carolina was 0-3.
As for softball, Virginia Tech and N.C. State were undefeated at 3-0, while Clemson had the most league wins and held a 5-1 record. North Carolina was 3-3, while Duke was 1-2. Wake Forest does not have a softball program.
“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,” Clemson coach Monte Lee previously said. “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.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 11:34 AM.
