(Seguin) – The NCAA Division III Winter and Spring Championships have been canceled, and Texas Lutheran Athletics seasons in the sports of men’s indoor track & field, softball, baseball, men’s and women’s outdoor track & field, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s tennis are indefinitely suspended effective Monday, March 16.
TLU Baseball’s three-game home series this weekend with the University of St. Thomas has been canceled. The games were to be played Friday and Saturday at TLU’s Katt-Isbel Field.
A decision on TLU Softball’s Saturday doubleheader with Trinity will be made Friday.
On Thursday evening TLU’s conference, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), made the decision to indefinitely suspend all regular season conference and non-conference competition effective Monday.
SCAC leadership will engage in discussions with the NCAA about any and all implications of a suspension in conference competition. Specifically, the league will request support for an extra year for all spring sport student-athletes whose seasons were just canceled.
Member institutions still have the ability to decide whether they will continue winter competition, or whether they will suspend all athletics-related activity for the entirety of the spring semester.
TLU senior Garrett Garza will not compete Saturday in the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C. with the cancellation of the championships.
The NCAA released this statement Thursday afternoon:
“Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. 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.”
TLU announced on Thursday that its spring break was extended by a week so that students would be out of class from March 16 to March 27. From March 30 to April 8, students will attend classes online. Prior to April 8, TLU will assess the COVID-19 situation and determine if TLU continues with online classes or if students can return to campus.
For the official release of TLU’s response to COVID-19 and the list of actions taken by the university, read the university’s statement here.
TLU is the defending NCAA Division III national champion in softball. TLU was set to host the SCAC Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships on April 24-25 at Bulldog Stadium.
For updates on TLU Athletics’ response to COVID-19 and for updated schedules and news, please check www.tlubulldogs.com.