Written by Thomas Scott
Atlanta, GA |This morning, Morehouse College President David Thomas made national headlines after posting an emotional letter to the Morehouse Community announcing the cancellation of the upcoming fall sports seasons. According to the letter, Morehouse College will not participate in any NCAA of SIAC athletic competitions this fall due to concerns over the COVID-19 virus.
This decision impacts both the cross-country and football programs. Despite the cancellation, Morehouse will honor the athletic scholarships of their student athletes.
This decision was largely based on keeping the entire student body safe. President Thomas explains in further detail:
“Like all of the decisions we’ve made related to COVID-19, this was a difficult one but was made with the health and well-being of our students and community in mind. It follows my intention to maintain a safe campus in hopes that our students will be able to return in August. Our Maroon Tiger teams travel to other NCAA institutions and cannot compete without breaking from social distancing guidelines still maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sporting events also invite individuals to our campus who will not be subject to the testing and monitoring that we plan to implement for our students, faculty, and staff.”
Morehouse President David Thomas
If nothing else, this bold decisionsignifies Morehouse’s commitment to student safety above sports and revenue. Many universities will be faced with similiar decisions in the coming weeks.
Click here to read the full letter from President Thomas.