Decision time is coming for colleges across the country, as coronavirus spread in many states grows wider yet again and the financial realities of fanless games and a damaged football season dawns on university leaders. To that end, Morehouse College became the first Division II school to officially wipe its slate of fall sports clean.
This only includes football and cross country, as the HBCU does not play a full schedule of sports like many other colleges in the Atlanta area. The decision, Morehouse President David A. Thomas said, comes as the school attempts to maintain a safe campus environment for the student body to return to in August.
“Our Maroon Tiger teams travel to other NCAA institutions and cannot compete without breaking from social distancing guidelines still maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Thomas said. “Sporting events also invite individuals to our campus who will not be subject to the testing and monitoring that we plan to implement for our students, faculty, and staff.”
Previously, individual matchups like the Southern Heritage Classic had been canceled, as well as Division III Bowdoin’s full fall calendar. Morehouse has more name recognition than any of these schools, and it will be interesting to see if this decision leads to a domino effect among other universities that are trying to figure out the best way to go forward amid the pandemic.