Morehouse Cancels Fall Sports Over Coronavirus Concerns
Morehouse Cancels Fall Sports Over Health Concerns From Virus
(Bloomberg) -- Morehouse College, a prominent historically Black college in Atlanta, canceled sports including football for the upcoming semester because of health concerns over the coronavirus.
“I know this news will be most disappointing to our scholar-athletes, especially our seniors,” the school’s president, David Thomas, said in a statement Friday. “I can only ask for your understanding and respect for the fact that the college is prioritizing your health and safety ahead of all else.”
Colleges across the U.S. are grappling with how to handle fall-semester sports, especially football, amid the pandemic because they drive revenue at many schools and in the surrounding towns. Only a handful of schools have canceled fall sports, including Bowdoin College in Maine, as they weigh logistics and health concerns for players, coaches and staff.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, and Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green said in an ESPN opinion piece on Thursday that they’re concerned about athlete safety and compensation in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and protests for racial justice across institutions, including college sports.
Morehouse said its decision doesn’t apply to sports set to take place in 2021, and that all athletic scholarships will be honored. The NCAA Division II school won’t participate in National Collegiate Athletic Association or Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference competitions, affecting the cross country and football teams.
“Our Maroon Tiger teams travel to other NCAA institutions and cannot compete without breaking from social-distancing guidelines still maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Thomas said in the statement. “Sporting events also invite individuals to our campus who will not be subject to the testing and monitoring that we plan to implement for our students, faculty, and staff.”
Some players said they were disappointed, similar to the reaction athletes expressed with the Ivy League was the first to cancel spring sports in March.
Morehouse was scheduled to open the football season at home against Jacksonville, Florida-based Edward Waters College, another historic Black school.
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