Big Ten Conference Halts All Organized Team Activities Until April 6
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference has placed a halt on all organized team activities until April 6.
In a statement released Friday morning, the league office announced a temporary stop to all games, practices and workouts for all of its university team sports.
The Big Ten Conference has previously announced Thursday that in addition to canceling the men’s basketball tournament it will be canceling all conference and non-conference competitions through the end of the academic year, including spring sports that compete beyond the academic year, and participation in all NCAA tournaments and competitions. The league office conference also has announced Thursday a moratorium on all on- and off-campus recruiting activities for the foreseeable future. University of Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman released a statement Thursday confirming all these cancelations and/or temporary freezes its winter and spring sports. The Illinois football program also placed an indefinite halt on spring practices and all recruiting practices.
In a media statement released Thursday evening, Whitman confirmed what the school is calling “a moratorium” on all winter and spring sports activities including recruiting due to public health concerns over the COVID-19 epidemic.
Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith announced earlier Thursday via Twitter that his staff was canceling all on-campus recruiting visits.
The Illinois football program announced last month they were set to begin spring practices on March 23, with the first of 15 workouts slated to go until April 15. The annual Orange and Blue Spring Game was scheduled to be on April 18 at Memorial Stadium. According to Whitman’s statement, all of those upcoming events are being put in an immediate hold “until further notice.”
Illinois has scheduled a press conference at State Farm Center at 11 a.m. CST where Whitman and head men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood are scheduled to address the media and take questions.