SALT LAKE CITY — Add the Big Sky to the list of conferences that is suspending all spring sports indefinitely in light of the growing COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made Thursday evening.
“The Big Sky Presidents’ Council made this decision on Thursday with the health and well-being of its student-athletes in mind,” the conference said in the announcement. “The Presidents’ Council will monitor the situation and reassess at a later date this spring.”
Earlier in the day, the conference canceled the remainder of its men’s basketball tournament.
“This decision was not made lightly, as we know how meaningful our basketball championships is to our student-athletes, coaches, alumni, and fans,” Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said in a statement. “After consulting with medical experts, local authorities, and the leadership of our institutions, we feel that this decision is prudent given the health and well-being of all involved.”
Southern Utah’s men’s team was the lone remaining local team in the tournament. The T-birds, after defeating Idaho in the first round Wednesday, were scheduled to face Northern Colorado in the quarterfinals at 5:30 p.m. MST Thursday.
“We would be remiss not to acknowledge all of our local partners who helped us increase the interest in and attendance at our tournament this year, and we look forward to welcoming those fans back when we return to Boise in March 2021,” Wistrcill said.