Clemson’s spring football game officially postponed
The Clemson spring football game is the latest athletics event to be postponed by the coronavirus, Clemson University announced Sunday night.
The game was originally scheduled for April 4, but Clemson announced Sunday that all university events, programs and activities have been suspended through April 5, including the spring game. There is currently not a planned date for it to be rescheduled, a Clemson spokesperson told The State.
“Clemson Athletics is in full support of the University’s announcement. The priority at this time is the safety of our student-athletes, coaches and fans and mitigating the impact of COVID-19,” Clemson Athletics said in a statement. “We will continue to engage with the university, local authorities and the ACC as we look to act in the best interest of our community.”
Clemson has already completed nine of its 15 spring practices, and there is no guarantee that the other six will take place.
The Tigers held practice Wednesday before breaking for spring break and were slated to return to the practice field March 23. That will not happen now.
In addition to the football team, all other athletic programs at Clemson and in the ACC have halted activities.
The ACC announced Thursday that it has suspended all athletic-related activities, including all competition, formal and organized practice, recruiting and participation in NCAA championships until further notice due to the coronavirus.
“This is unchartered territory and the health and safety of our student-athletes and institutions remains our top priority,” ACC commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. “This decision is aimed to protect from the further spread of COVID-19.”
The Clemson basketball team was the first Tigers program to have its season halted. The Tigers set to face No. 1 seed Florida State in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament Thursday afternoon before the event was canceled.
Only a few hours later, all other Clemson programs had their seasons put on hold and in jeopardy as well.
Clemson baseball and softball are the most popular spring sports and both were enjoying success in 2020. The baseball team is 14-3 (3-0), while the softball team is 19-8 (5-1) in its first season in program history. Those two programs and all other spring sports at Clemson could be shut down for the rest of the year.
“Clemson athletics fully supports the ACC statement as we look to create a safe environment for our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans. We understand that this decision has many implications on the Clemson athletic landscape but is in the best interest of our community,” Clemson said in a statement Thursday. “We will have more information on ticketing and other operational issues in the coming days. The department will continue to engage in conversations on this issue and provide updates as available.”
