Patriot League cancels fall sports
The Patriot League has announced that it will be cancel fall sports, with a decision on winter sports being made at a later time.
"From a health and well-being standpoint, things are not getting better in this country," Patriot League commissioner Jennifer Heppel told ESPN. "As we get closer to the point where students are going to be making plans to how they travel back to our campuses as well as student-athletes, it became clear for us that this wasn't going to be in the best interest of our communities to have athletics this fall. That's the decision that had been made. It's incredibly disappointing for our student-athletes and our coaches, and it's not a decision anybody is feeling good about. It's sad. It's gut-wrenching."
The Patriot League joins the Ivy League in canceling all fall sports, while the Big Ten and Pac 12 have announced that they are planning to only have in-conference competition for fall sports. SEC athletic directors are expected to meet Monday to discuss their plans for the upcoming season.
The U.S. Military Academy and Naval Academy are exempt from the cancellation, and their superintendents will be responsible for making any decisions in regards to competitive sports.
Originally, college football did not give any indications of canceling or altering their season, but with the pandemic showing no signs of slowing down, conferences have been forced to revise their position. Some wonder if college sports will be played at all this fall, as athletes may not be willing to put their health at risk when they are not even being compensated.
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