When will UT sports return? Everything you need to know
Tennessee athletics, like the rest of sporting world, is in a current state of uncertainty.
Not only have both basketball programs had their postseasons cut short, but countless other programs - including football, baseball and softball - have had their spring periods come to a halt as well.
The NCAA has already cut its largest revenue-maker - March Madness - off for the year. Those three weeks alone account for 75 percent of college basketball’s annual revenue.
It didn’t stop there, either.
Following the SEC’s announcement on Monday, all football programs have cancelled their respective spring games.
This came after Big 10 schools such as Michigan and Ohio State called off their spring festivities.
When Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer addressed the media on Tuesday, he was adamant that the university would take any necessary precautions to protect the health and safety of their student athletes.
“If there’s one thing our Volunteer sprit has prepared us for, its to unite for the greater good,” Fulmer said. “We have and will continue to make efforts to address the Coronavirus through a community lense.”
Recruiting across the country has hit a crossroads, and no in-person meeting are permitted by the NCAA at this time.
For a Tennessee football team that had been so hot on the recruiting trail along with both basketball programs, that is a major obstacle that they have no choice but to remain behind.
Seven NBA players, including former Rick Barnes standout Kevin Durant, have already tested positive for the virus.
Judging by recent developments, it’s clear that the NCAA isn’t willing to take any chances.
There is no word yet on whether the Coronavirus outbreak will have an effect on the regular season once it begins in September, but as the past month has proven: Never rule anything out.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said on a teleconference on Wednesday that spring practice regimes will continue as planned.
