C-USA officially cancels spring sports
Leader file photos
The 2020 seasons for junior outfielder Steele Nettervile (above) and the Louisiana Tech baseball team, and junior pitcher Audrey Pickett (below) and the Lady Techsters softball team, officially came to an end late Monday night as Conference USA announced the cancellation of the remainder of its 2020 spring sports seasons due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
It wasn’t a surprise, but instead more of a foregone conclusion.
And late Monday night Conference USA made it official.
A statement from C-USA said that, “Effective immediately by a unanimous vote of the Conference USA Board of Directors, all spring sport competition and championships have been canceled.”
Louisiana Tech University Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland expressed his support for C-USA’s decision.
“We continue down a road that has never been traveled in the modern day history of college athletics,” McClelland said. “Our No. 1 priority is the health of our student-athletes, coaches, support staff, administration and fan base. Tough decisions are being made with this in mind.
“We fully support the decision. We hurt for our student-athletes, especially our seniors. We continue to pray that the moves that are being made across the country will help shorten the effect of COVID-19. We are trying to do our part.”
Tech started online only classes on Monday and continues to monitor the situation through federal, state and local agencies.
C-USA’s announcement means that the next time Tech’s baseball and softball teams play, they will hopefully be played in the new facilities to built on campus.
The baseball stadium will be constructed on the site of the old one while the new soccer and softball facilities will be built behind Joe Aillet Stadium.
Last Thursday, because of the ongoing worldwide coronavirus outbreak, the NCAA announced its decision to cancel all remaining winter and spring championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and the College Baseball and Softball World Series, mmaking the chance of C-USA continuing its 2020 spring sports seasons highly unlikely.
