After convening its Presidents’ Council earlier today for a vote, the ASUN Conference has announced the decision to cancel the remainder of its spring sports competition, effective immediately, in response to the growing concerns of the COVID-19 virus nationwide.
The announcement was made by ASUN commissioner Ted Gumbart, one day after the conference office suspended all competition through April 5. The decision allowed conference officials the time needed to further evaluate the proper decision for the welfare of its student-athletes, coaches and staff.
The decision brings to a close the competitive seasons for Lipscomb’s baseball, softball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s golf, women’s golf and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field programs.
The ASUN announcement follows the statement from the NCAA that all remaining winter and spring championships – including the men's and women's basketball championship, College World Series and Women's College World Series –have been canceled.
Statement from the ASUN Conference:
The ASUN Conference Presidents' Council took action today to officially cancel all intercollegiate competition, regular season and championship segments, for all spring sports. The Council supports granting member schools the discretion to resume practice activities under their own campus policies related to face to face activity. Continued best possible care and supervision for student-athlete health remains at the heart of all ASUN decisions.
As the ASUN supports the retention of a year of eligibility for those student-athletes who did not have the opportunity to compete due to this unprecedented time of health management, the final determination on the date timeframe and weekly practice hourly limits will be made next week after further consultation with campus health professionals and with the NCAA to ensure maximize eligibility for the extra year of competition. In addition, the ASUN will restructure its team and individual recognition program for the spring sports to ensure that the contributions of our ASUN student-athletes and teams are properly honored. We remain disappointed in the knowledge that students who have invested much of their young lives into the student-athlete experience will not receive that opportunity this spring. The ASUN sends its best to all who are dealing with this emergency situation and wish you good health and strong spirits.
Statement from the Lipscomb’s Director of Athletics Philip Hutcheson:
“On the heels of the devastating tornadoes here in Nashville and in a time and situation where the President of the United States has declared a national emergency, I certainly recognize that decisions about athletics are just a small part of a much bigger picture right now. First and foremost, our prayers are with all affected by the disaster in middle Tennessee and the coronavirus worldwide. As for the NCAA and the ASUN’s decision to end the spring sports year, I am all in favor of those two bodies and Lipscomb doing the things we think are best to help deal with this situation. Since there is no precedent for this, it would be hard to determine if there is a definitive right or wrong response in terms of collegiate athletics at this moment. But I know that everyone involved has spent a lot of time and effort trying to make the best decisions possible, all things considered, so I will trust that is what’s happened.
“All that said, I am so sad not only for Lipscomb’s student-athletes, but for all student-athletes who are affected. I told my wife last night that when I walked on the field to talk with those 30-plus young men on the baseball team, I felt like I was talking with 30 people who had just suffered season-ending injuries, all at the same time. To have their season, their dreams and simply the joy of working as a part of a team all end so quickly is heartbreaking. And while it may have been the best decision, it doesn’t make it any less difficult for all involved. We will continue to support our student-athletes and coaches during this time and we will look forward to the day when we can get back to cheering for our Lipscomb Bisons in competition.”
