Ivy presidents are optimistic for normal fall, including sports

Ivy League schools’ presidents sent a statement to athletes on Tuesday in which they expressed optimism for a normal fall, including a return to intercollegiate athletics.

“Barring unanticipated circumstances, such as a dramatic increase in infection rates from a variant in the virus, we look forward to welcoming our teams back to intercollegiate competition this fall,” the statement, obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, concluded.

It included no further details on returning to full activity.

The Yale Daily News first reported the delivery of the statement to Bulldogs athletes.

The statement says the schools “are each planning for a range of possible scenarios. But given the current steady decline of COVID-19 infections in this country, and the broad availability and uptake of vaccinations, we are optimistic that our campuses will be back to something close to normal by this fall, including in-person learning with students in resiThe dence.

“And this includes our expectation for the resumption of regular competitive schedules for Ivy League athletics across all sports beginning in fall 2021,” the statement continued.

The league suspended play in March 2020 amid the pandemic along with most of the rest of the sporting world. It canceled league play in each of the three seasons this academic year as well.