A premature ending to the season

The Western Athletic Conference announced all spring conference competitions have been suspended for the remainder of the academic year last Wednesday.

In the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all sporting events and leagues such as the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball were suspended to prevent the spread of the virus.

The WAC followed suit and canceled all their remaining spring competitions, not allowing senior athletes to play in what was to be their final season.

For UTRGV senior players, this was to be their last hoorah, to advance in their athletic careers or even just get that last moment of play.

“Your heart goes out to our seniors,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. “You feel for them the most, and there’s been a premature ending to their careers as a UTRGV student athlete.”

Conque said how heartbreaking it was for UTRGV Athletics.

“As we reflect, over the last several weeks we really experienced some great success on the courts and on the fields of play,” he said.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has not made a decision on what the eligibility of student athletes who are participating in spring sports is, but the conversation is still up in the air.

“That goes back to guidance from the NCAA,” Conque said. “That’s something that is going to take several weeks to develop.

“There’s 350 plus division one institutions that are all in the same boat right now with the same questions. So it’s going to take a lot of collaboration and a lot of hard work by the national office, but also here within the Western Athletic Conference. So, those conversations have started.”

UTRGV student athletes were not available for interviews as of press time.

For more updates on UTRGV Athletics, visit goutrgv.com, or wacsports.com for more news about the conference.