Pac-12 cancels all sports through academic year

The Pac-12 canceled all sports Saturday through the end of the 2019-20 academic year because of the coronavirus pandemic that has brought almost all athletics to a standstill.

The decision came after a meeting between the conference and the athletic directors of its schools and falls in line with the NCAA’s decision to cancel the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and all spring championships.

The Pac-12 is also prohibiting all organized team activities until at least March 29, when the decision will be revisited. The cancellation of competition includes spring sports that continue to compete beyond the end of the academic year.

Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton wrote in a Saturday morning email to the Bears community: “The coronavirus pandemic that has gripped the world has created a level of uncertainty, forcing so many of us to alter the way we conduct our daily lives. Over the past several weeks, new words and phrases have become familiar parts of our vocabulary — COVID-19, social distancing, self-quarantine, slowing the spread and flattening the curve — to name a few. Schools have closed, stores have empty shelves and many of us are staying at home rather than go to work or out to the movies.

“Here at Cal, the impact has had a profound effect on faculty, staff and students. Although the University remains open and there are no confirmed cases on campus as of this writing, most in-person instruction has moved online through the end of the spring term. I have been so proud of how the University and our department staff have proactively continued to respond and communicate in an effort to keep our community safe.”

At Cal, the Pac-12’s latest cancellations come before the start of the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, which would have included title-contending shot putter McKay Johnson, and the men’s and women’s swimming and diving championships.