By Shakim Muhafiz

Morehouse College announced that there will be no Fall sports this upcoming semester. The sports being canceled include football and cross country. The college decided not to participate in athletic competition funded by the NCAA and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). 

Due to COVID-19, Morehouse felt this would be the best option. In a written statement issued on June 26 by President David Thomas, he emphasized the safety of the Morehouse community.

“Like all of the decisions we’ve made related to COVID-19,” Thomas wrote, “this was a difficult one but was made with the health and well-being of our students and community in mind.”

Thomas hopes that with the cancellation of sports, he’ll be able to bring students back to campus in the Fall. 

“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 wrote. 

He added that sporting events would bring more people to the campus, which could result in COVID-19 being spread.  

The not-so-shocking announcement also stated that all student-athletes’ scholarships will be honored by Morehouse. So far, only the Fall sports were canceled. The president will announce the status of Winter and Spring sports later. 

Thomas will announce the Fall semester plan for all students by July 1.