Stanford shuts down spring sports amid Coronavirus concerns
Stanford University announced Thursday that all spring athletics activities have been cancelled -- effectively ending the careers of seniors early and stunning athletes competing in seasons only recently begun, or on the verge of major tournaments.
Stanford's latest update states:
"As the COVID-19 situation has continued to escalate within our community and around the world, our university has worked diligently to help protect the most vulnerable members of our community and combat the spread of the virus more broadly.
"With that in mind, and after consulting with our university leadership, the Pac-12 conference, and the NCAA, we have decided to cancel all of our winter and spring sport seasons, effective immediately.
"While it is possible that some athletics activities may be able to resume when in-person classes resume on campus, all competitions, practices, camps, clinics, and in-person recruiting activities are suspended until further notice.
Throughout this fluid situation, the support and understanding we have felt from our entire community has been greatly appreciated."
The unprecedented cancellations and restrictions on activities across the country caused a tsunami of social media reactions. Everyone from athletes to coaches and parents to various officials expressed shock, frustration and words of support in the face of an historic event.
Women's basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer probably said it best when she described to the APs Janie McCauley what it was like when the team met today to discuss the end of the season: "Everyone has left to go home. We all laughed and cried!”
The Cardinal were headed toward a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, playing host to three other teams at Maples Pavilion and making a run with a team that reached the Pac-12 Tournament championship.
Jerod Haase and the men's basketball team fell in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament Wednesday and will never know if they might have snuck in the back door of the NCAA Tournament. (The selection show was scheduled for Sunday.) The Cardinal finished the season with 20 wins and established an elite defense that the coaches hope is a foundation upon which they can build a more complete team in the offseason.
Athletes on every team affected are almost certainly shaken by the events. Stanford's campus is practically deserted and there is a Twilight Zone feel to the entire situation while people come to grips with the severity of the situation.