Following the NCAA’s announcement that it was canceling all remaining winter and spring tournaments due to concerns regarding the coronavirus, the Big Ten canceled all sports through the end of the academic year.
Additionally, the conference mandated a moratorium on both on- and off-campus recruiting activities for the foreseeable future.
The Big Ten canceled its men’s basketball tournament earlier on Thursday [March 12] and became is the latest conference to cancel sports for the remainder of the academic year, following the Ivy League and Patriot League, which initially garnered criticism. The ACC, SEC, and Pac-12 have all suspended athletics for now.
“The Big Ten Conference will use this time to work with the appropriate medical experts and institutional leadership to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Big Ten posted in a statement.
“The main priority of the Big Ten Conference continues to be the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans and media as we continue to monitor all developing and relevant information on the COVID-19 virus.”
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