Duke University has suspended all athletic competition, according to an announcement from President Vincent E. Price on Thursday afternoon.
The statement indicates activities have been suspended “for the foreseeable future, effective immediately, in response to COVID-19.
“We are taking this action to protect the safety of our student athletes, coaches, staff and others who are essential to these activities,” Price said in a statement. “I know it is a great disappointment to our student-athletes and coaches, whose hard work and dedication to their sports and Duke is inspirational to so many, but we must first look out for their health and well-being. This is clearly an unprecedented moment for our university, our region and the wider world. As we take steps to confront the spread of this virus, I’m grateful for the cooperation and support of the entire Duke community.”
The decision from Price came just prior to the afternoon quarterfinal opening tip-off between Florida State and Clemson.
As first reported by The Raleigh News & Observer’s Steve Wiseman and Luke DeCock, Price’s decision effectively ended Duke’s quarterfinal game with NC State, originally scheduled for 2:30 on Thursday afternoon.
The NCAA has not yet canceled the Tournament, which is currently planned to go forward beginning March 17-18 when the First Four is scheduled.
Despite this fact, Duke, who is currently ranked No. 10 in the nation, will not
participate in the NCAA Tournament should it not be canceled.
“We emphatically support the decision made by Dr. Price today regarding the suspension of athletic competition at Duke,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “The welfare of our student-athletes, and all students at Duke, is paramount, and this decision reflects that institutional priority. Certainly, I want to applaud Dr. Price, who took a leadership role with his presidential peers and the Atlantic Coast Conference in arriving at this decision.”
The Blue Devils completed the 2019-20 campaign with a 25-6 record.
