Athletes will not lose a year of eligibility whether or not they enroll, the league said, and enrolled student-athletes are still permitted to attend practices, “provided they are structured in accordance with each institution’s procedures and applicable state and local regulations.”

The league’s announcement comes as coronavirus cases skyrocket across the United States. Public health officials announced Thursday that there had been more than 152,000 cases — the highest number of new coronavirus infections on one day to date — as hospitals reach capacity, causing some states to reinstitute more stringent social distancing protocols, curfews and mask mandates. More than 67,000 coronavirus patients were being treated in hospitals on Thursday, according to the Covid Tracking Project, which is the largest number at any point in the pandemic.

Colleges and universities have been linked to at least 252,000 coronavirus cases and at least 80 deaths at over 1,600 institutions since the pandemic began, a New York Times survey found.

The Ivy League, which maintains that athletics should be “kept in harmony with the essential educational purposes of the institution,” has not staged any varsity competitions since March. Over the summer, it had put its fall sports, including football, on hold until January before saying on Thursday that it would not stage those seasons during the spring semester.

Other conferences that had made similar decisions to suspend fall sports have reversed course, taking precautions to keep football afloat through the fall but facing postponements and cancellations because of virus infections. The Southeastern Conference, home to football powerhouses like Alabama and Texas A&M, postponed four games scheduled for this weekend as players and personnel across programs tested positive for the virus.

Source: New York Times

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