Coronavirus Is a Wake Up Call For Clemson, and the Sports World
Thursday the pandemic that is the Coronavirus got real for many in the world of college athletics, as conferences cancelled tournaments and spring sports were put on hold indefinitely.
The ACC announced the cancellation of, arguably, the most prestigious tournament in college basketball a mere 30 minutes before the first quarterfinal game between Clemson and Florida State was scheduled to tip.
“Following additional consultation with the league’s presidents and athletic directors, and in light of the continued conversations surrounding the fluidity of COVID-19, the Atlantic Coast Conference will immediately cancel the remainder of the 2020 ACC Tournament. For NCAA Tournament automatic qualification purposes, Florida State will represent the league as the ACC Champion. We are disappointed for our student-athletes, schools and fans to have to make this decision; however, the overall health and safety of all involved is the priority," a statement from the league read.
Another 30 minutes later, the Clemson campus announced that it would be eliminating in-person classes after next week's spring break until March 30:
As we prepare for academic spring break next week, I want to inform the Clemson community of an important decision that has been made to help keep our students, faculty, staff and our community safe in the wake of the novel coronavirus 2019
In response to the spread of COVID-19, we have made the decision to move all classes at Clemson to online instruction following spring break until at least March 30. This includes all undergraduate, graduate and Bridge courses held on the main campus and at University facilities across the state.
Please note that while classes will not take place in person, Clemson will remain open and operational. We remain committed to ensuring that our students can complete the semester as scheduled.
We encourage students who can do so to remain at home or away from campus as we seek to reduce the density of the campus population. Students do have the option to remain on campus during spring break or to return to campus following spring break.
While we expect that some operational modifications may become necessary, student services, including housing, dining and health care, will remain available for those on campus.
This decision was not made lightly and is consistent with the actions being taken by many other universities across the country. By moving temporarily to an online structure, the campus community can engage in social distancing and reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, while also ensuring our students’ academic progress is not interrupted.
I know how much we all value the Clemson experience including the sense of community that we have and the physical connection with have with our campus, but we must think about the health and well-being of the entire Clemson family.
As we have been doing for the past several weeks, Clemson leadership and emergency personnel will continue to closely monitor this rapidly changing situation every day. If it becomes necessary to continue online instruction beyond March 30, we will provide enough advance notice to allow students to remain at home beyond that date if they choose.
Employees from across the University have been working diligently to prepare for this possibility, and we have a solid plan in place. The safety of our community and academic continuity for our students remain our top priorities.
We continue to evaluate Clemson events, conferences and other gatherings scheduled to occur in the near future. Further information will be communicated as decisions are made.
For those of you traveling next week please be safe, consider the impact of your decisions and remain aware of the changing nature of this situation. You should be mindful of your own health, but also the impact you can have on others if you become infected by COVID-19, especially the most vulnerable members of our society. Uphold the best traditions and expectations of Clemson.
Those visiting international destinations or taking cruises – especially to an area with a high risk of infection – may need to self-isolate for two weeks upon return and will be expected to check in with our Health Services staff before returning to campus.
I know that this decision, while prudent, is likely to result in questions. We are dedicated to providing ongoing, accurate information and will share necessary information with specific groups as this situation changes and further details become available.
We also will continue to provide regular communication updates via emails, our website and the University’s social media channels.
Thanks for your patience and understanding as we continue to work hard to keep our University community safe during a very challenging, and rapidly changing, period.
Sincerely, President Jim Clements
When asked about what the athletic department policy regarding the Coronavirus, Clemson associate athletic director Jeff Kalin stated, “the athletic department will not set the precedent” for the handling of the virus, and that the athletic department will respect the decisions of the NCAA, the ACC and the university.
However, with the ever increasing number of cases nationally and in the states of South Carolina, combined with numerous conferences already suspending spring sports and with the expectations of 70,000 people filing into sleepy Clemson in less than four weeks for the annual spring game, if things do not change, there may be some difficult decisions for families and the university.
