The University of Portland Athletics announced Thursday evening that all athletics activities for the spring semester are canceled. The decision — which was made in consultation with local health authorities, the West Coast Conference and the NCAA — comes amid concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The sports canceled include baseball, beach volleyball, women’s rowing, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, and men’s women’s spring soccer matches.
“This decision is an absolutely necessary one after consultation with local officials as well as the West Coast Conference and the NCAA,” Portland Vice President for Athletics Scott Leykam said in a press release. “We will be cautious and thoughtful about a return to competition in the future.”
Earlier on Thursday, the NCAA announced the cancellation of the NCAA basketball tournament, which effectively ended the season for the women’s basketball team who had qualified for the first time since 1997 after winning the WCC Championship.
Kyle Garcia is the Sports editor for The Beacon. He can be reached at garciaky20@up.edu.
