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UConn president Thomas Katsouleas had a less than promising take on how the coronavirus pandemic will impact universities across the country. Katsouleas issued a statement regarding his previous comments about the football season being canceled by saying that all fall sports could be canceled.
According to Katsouleas, the current speculation is that fall sports will be canceled, however, he was clear that it is just his speculation and the university will follow guidelines from the state government.
“Earlier today, speaking to a UConn journalism class, I was asked about the return of fall 2020 sports and how that may be managed in light of the pandemic. I began by saying that the questions surrounding fall sports are not going to be answered solely by presidents or athletic directors, but will largely be driven by the NCAA, and that in many ways the choices would be decided for us. I did however say that the current thinking is that it’s likely that fall sports will be canceled,” the statement read.
“This was not based on any inside knowledge or discussions on the subject, and was nothing more than speculation. No decisions have been made about fall sports and when they are made, we will look to the NCAA and our conference to take the lead on those choices. We will also, as always, be guided by the governor and state government. Our hope is that we will be able to play in the fall, as planned.”
The coronavirus outbreak has led to the cancellation or postponing of many large events including The Masters, NCAA Tournament, Coachella, SXSW, the Winter X Games, Stagecoach, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and more. The NBA, NHL, and MLS have temporarily suspended their seasons.
The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 42,900 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
