No Ivy League spring play due to COVID-19 issues - ESPN

1:41 PM ET

The Ivy League will not have a conference spring sports season, meaning it won't hold competitions or host league championships because of "rigorous limitations" that continue on its campuses during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the conference announced on Thursday.

The Ivy League Council of Presidents made the decision in order to continue to comply with stringent restrictions on campus travel, visitors and gathering policies, and to follow the state guidelines governing each campus.

"We know that this news will come as a disappointment to many in our community," the university presidents wrote in a joint statement released by the Ivy League. "We regret the many sacrifices that have been required in response to the pandemic, and we appreciate the resilience of our student-athletes, coaches and staff in the face of adversity during this difficult and unusual year. While we would like nothing better than to deliver a complete season of competition, these are the necessary decisions for the Ivy League in the face of the health concerns posed by the ongoing and dangerous pandemic.

"We will continue to monitor the situation as we move forward so that our universities can determine whether Ivy League principles and evolving health conditions might allow for limited, local competition later this spring."

Currently enrolled student-athletes can continue to train and practice, as long as they are structured in accordance with each school's procedures, along with state and local regulations. The Ivy League has maintained its approach that was implemented for all sports in the fall of 2020.

The Ivy League was the first conference to cancel its men's and women's conference basketball tournaments last March and was the first conference to announce it wouldn't hold fall sports because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In November, the Ivy League became the first conference to announce it would not hold winter sports this season, and at that time determined spring sports would be postponed until at least the end of February. It also decided not to make up competition for last year's fall sports this spring.

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