Wisconsin Cancels April 18th Open Football Practice, UW Band Concert

In a letter published on UWBadgers.com on Monday, athletic director Barry Alvarez acknowledged the cancellation of several upcoming events in hopes to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes the April 18th open spring football practice and Badger Kids' Fair, the UW Varsity Band concerts that were slated from April 16-18, and the Crazylegs Classic on April 25.

The letter also notes the cancellations include "all winter and spring sports competitions for the remainder of 2019-20 school year, including Big Ten and NCAA events," and the men's basketball program's end of the year reception scheduled on April 23.

"The cancelation of athletic events was a difficult, but necessary, decision," Alvarez said in the letter. "That being said, I'm sure you join me in disappointment for our student-athletes and coaches whose seasons and, in some cases, careers were cut short last week. Our student-athletes, coaches and staff pour their hearts and souls into practice and competition. It's a shame it had to end this way for some of them."

Paul Chryst and the Wisconsin football program were supposed to start spring football practices after the university's spring break on Sunday, March 22. However, the Big Ten Conference announced last week that “all organized team activities have been suspended until April 6, 2020.”

Prior to that on March 12, the Big Ten also announced via a statement that it had also canceled "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 UW Varsity Band concert is an annual tradition for the university and would have taken place inside the Kohl Center in late April.

The Crazylegs Classic started in 1982. The race, which has the options of being a run or a walk for participants, concludes inside Camp Randall Stadium.

Here is the full list of events that have been impacted, according to the website release:

All winter and spring sports competitions for the remainder of 2019-20 school year, including Big Ten and NCAA events

Wisconsin Athletics Thank-A-Thon / March 30-April 1

Cher Concert / April 9 (

rescheduled for September 24

)

UW Varsity Band Concerts / April 16-18

Red Tie Red Dress Scholarship Gala / April 17

Wisconsin Spring Football Open Practice & Badger Kids' Fair / April 18

Wisconsin Men's Basketball End-of-Season Reception / April 23

Crazylegs Classic / April 25

Tom Wiesner Badger Desert Classic / April 26-28