No More Classes on Campus this Spring, No Practices or Gatherings for Teams

Oklahoma State's campus is not closed, but there will be no more on campus classes as released in a news release and sent out to all students in an email on Wednesday, March 18.

Oklahoma State University

STILLWATER -- Oklahoma State University followed in step with much of the region and with the other schools in the Big 12 Conference on Wednesday, March 18 when they issued the following release and sent out the same information in an email to all students, including student-athletes. 

All classes at the Stillwater and Tulsa campuses will be delivered online for the remainder of the spring semester... 

Let me assure our students: we are working together with our faculty and staff to make sure you can complete and pursue your academic goals.

We are strongly encouraging a reduced occupancy in on-campus housing for the rest of the spring semester. This is a difficult decision, but necessary to protect the health of our entire campus community – students, faculty and staff. Specific information for on-campus housing residents is being emailed directly to the resident. We understand some students must maintain a physical presence on the Stillwater campus and we are committed to assisting them in every way possible.

You could guess that last sentence applies greatly to student-athletes, but a source in the athletic department as well as conversations with a pair of coaches at Oklahoma State confirmed that as of now the school and for that matter, the Big 12 Conference, and the NCAA is not allowing practices or gathering of teams. 

"We have an app, teamwork, that we can use and then it is by phone, email, and text," one Oklahoma State coach told me of communicating with his team.

The spring break week here further complicates the situation.

"We have students (athletes) that are here that can't get home," said one athletic department staff member. "Student-athletes that are from other countries. We have some that want to stay on campus. We have to find a way to make sure all of them stay engaged academically, so we still have a lot to work out."

As for practices and team meetings, those aspects of the job are only going to get more difficult. 

As many of you know my son, Zach, an Oklahoma State graduate and former Cowboy football player is the head coach at NEO A&M Junior College. He has the same issues, online classes the rest of the spring, no spring practice, and he has to find a way to keep his players engaged in academics and meeting their academic requirements. These are critical issues and they aren't easy to get accomplished. 

One coach told me there was a Big 12 teleconference on Wednesday afternoon. This is a moving story that will continue changing constantly for a long time. 

The hope is that students and student-athletes will be back on campus for classes and activities during the summer, but that is far from being a given right now. It is more of a hope. 

Stay tuned.