On Friday afternoon, the Missouri Valley Conference announced the cancellation of all intercollegiate competition, including championships, through the remainder of the academic year.
“The MVC Presidents’ Council made this decision today with the well-being and safety of its student-athletes, administrators, coaches, media and fans in mind,” said a statement on the conferences’ website and social media pages.
This decision comes after the conference originally planned to suspend competition through March 30 and reassess the status after that date.
The announcement affects seven Bradley sports that compete in the spring: baseball, men’s golf, women’s gold, softball, women’s tennis, men’s outdoor track and women’s outdoor track. Spring exhibition contests for the men’s soccer team and women’s volleyball team have also been cancelled.
The announcement follows suit with the NCAA’s decision to cancel all winter and spring championships – including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and the College World Series.
Many senior athletes had feared that the cancellation of the season would spell the end of their collegiate athletic careers. However, the NCAA announced Friday that the Division I Council Coordination Committee agreed that it agrees that “eligibility relief is appropriate” for all DI spring sports athletes. Details will come at a later date.
It is unclear as to what the association will decide about the eligibility of winter sport athletes who were unable to compete in NCAA championships.
“Additional issues with NCAA rules must be addressed, and appropriate governance bodies will work through those in the coming days and weeks,” the association’s statement reads.
Dr. Chris Reynolds, Bradley’s Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics, said in a statement that the university will continue to help its student-athletes.
“We are extremely proud of all that our student-athletes have accomplished this year – in competition, in the classroom and in the community … Bradley Athletics remains aligned with the mission of Bradley University and we will rely on the guidance of our University, Missouri Valley Conference and NCAA leadership, as well as that of local, regional and national governments, to guide us through this challenging time.”
