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NCAA cancels all winter and spring championships

Stadium bleachers on a sunny day with fences in the foreground.
Palmer Stadium.
Jon Ort / The Daily Princetonian

The NCAA announced March 12 that it will be cancelling all winter and spring championships. The decision comes a day after the Ivy League’s cancellation of all spring athletics. 

“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,“ Director of Communications Stacey Osborn said in a statement

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The news came just ten days before women’s basketball was set to play its first March Madness games, and a week before six wrestlers were to head to Minneapolis, Minn. for a shot at making history. Some athletes were given even less notice; junior Sam Ellis, of men’s track and field had already traveled to Albuquerque, N. M., to compete tomorrow in the NCAA national championships for the mile. 

“These are unprecedented times, not only in college athletics but in our country and around the world,“ wrote head wrestling Coach Chris Ayres in a statement to the Daily Princetonian. “It is devastating to have a historic season for our program come to an end in this way, but I am proud of my team and confident we have set a new standard for Princeton Wrestling. I am grateful for everyone that has supported us, not only the Princeton University administration but of fans and families who have joined us along the way.”

This story is breaking and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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