Athletics

March 12, 2020

The SAC And Its Member Institutions Cancel Remaining Athletic Competitions For 2019-20

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) -- The South Atlantic Conference and its member institutions continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health and medical professionals, as such the SAC Presidents Council has made the decision to cancel all spring athletics competition and practice for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.  This includes all SAC spring sports championships.
 
This decision comes after the statement issued by the NCAA on Thursday (March 12) canceling the remaining winter championships and all spring championships for NCAA Divisions I, II and III.
 
“This is uncharted territory and we are looking out for the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and staff,” said SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz. “I want to thank the presidents and athletic directors of the SAC for helping us make a swift and difficult decision that none of us wanted to make, but it is in the best interest of everyone as a whole.”
 
The SAC will continue to monitor the situation and will make any adjustments to future events if necessary.

Earlier Announcement from NCAA

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA has determined that all winter and spring championship are canceled, effective immediately.
 
This announcement, made by the NCAA late Thursday afternoon, includes the 2020 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Southeast Regional Championship, which was scheduled to be played Saturday-Tuesday, March 14-17 inside Tex Turner Arena in Harrogate, Tennessee.
 
NCAA President Mark Emmert issued the following statement:
 
"This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities."
 
An official release from the NCAA is located on NCAA.org.