Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV backs Mountain West decision to cancel all spring, winter sports

New UNLV Baseball Cluhouse Officially Opened

Steve Marcus

The second-level patio offers a view of the Linq High Roller during the grand opening of the Anthony and Lyndy Marnell III Baseball Clubhouse at UNLV Monday, March 7, 2016.

The Mountain West canceled all winter and spring sports competitions on Thursday due to the spread of the coronavirus, effectively ending the season for eight UNLV teams.

“The health and well-being of student-athletes, as well as the campus and general communities, is of utmost priority,” the league said in a statement.

The Mountain West had previously suspended all winter and spring sports. The NCAA canceled its men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments on Thursday, prompting the Mountain West to take the next step of canceling all sports seasons.

For UNLV, the move affects baseball, softball, men’s and women’s swimming, women’s track, men’s and women’s golf and women’s tennis.

Men’s golf coach Dwaine Knight said his three decades at the helm did not prepare him to deliver the news to his players that their season is over.

“In my 30-plus years as a coach I’ve never run across anything like this before,” Knight said. “”I feel bad for the student-athletes who have put so much time and effort into school and playing their sport, and then all of a sudden having it canceled. And all of it is due to a virus that is beyond anybody’s control.”

Athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois said UNLV agreed with the league’s decision.

“We support the Mountain West's decision and will continue to evaluate and assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with local health officials, our conference and campus colleagues, continuing to follow federal, state and NSHE guidelines and best practices," Reed-Francois said in a statement.

The UNLV football team is set to begin spring practice on March 24; no decision has been made about the status of that sport’s spring sessions. A university spokesman said it is a “fluid situation.”

Football coach Marcus Arroyo did announce on Twitter that the Rebels are suspending all recruiting activity, including on- and off-campus visits, until April 30.

The eight sports that saw their seasons end on Thursday are represented by a combined 179 student-athletes. Of those players, 32 are seniors whose collegiate careers have now come to a premature conclusion.

Ryan Hare, a senior pitcher on the baseball team, tweeted out his thoughts on the shutdown.

Knight said the focus for UNLV coaches is now to make sure players stay committed to their academics despite the sudden end of their seasons.

“I think we were all hopeful that we could finish the season because they’ve put so much effort into it,” Knight said. “I think what we have to do now is make sure the effort they’ve put into classes is rewarded, especially the ones that are so close to finishing up their degrees.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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