(Seguin) – Texas Lutheran University’s primary athletics conference, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), on Monday announced the cancellation of all conference competition, including all spring championships, for the remainder of the current academic year due to the COVID-19 health threat.
Last week, the league’s Presidents Council indefinitely suspended all non-conference and conference competition, leaving the door cracked open, if ever so slightly, for a possible resumption of play at the confrence level.
Following a review of public health recommendations on gatherings, member campuses moving to remote learning, and the decision by the NCAA to cancel all spring championships, the league’s executive council felt it had no choice but extend the suspension of activity through the end of the academic year.
“Given where we are as a country, with cases of the coronavirus continuing to escalate, this decision was the responsible and correct thing to do,” said SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. “Above all else, our primary concern has to be ensuring, to the best of our abilities, the safety and well-being of our campuses and our student-athletes.”
“Having said that, it doesn’t make it any less disappointing to see the spring season prematurely come to an end for our student-athletes and coaches. My heart truly goes out to all of them – especially our seniors. I hope they know how tough this decision was and how much their hard work and dedication was recognized during our discussions.”
TLU Athletics is a member of the SCAC for 15 of its 18 intercollegiate sports. The Bulldogs compete in the American Southwest Conference in football and compete as an independent in women’s indoor track & field and men’s indoor track & field.
TLU announced on March 12 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.