Sports

PHOTO: Taylor Jedrzejek/WOUB

MAC Tournament, all NCAA sporting events canceled


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CLEVELAND, OH — The 2020 Mid-American Conference tournament has officially been canceled and while the decision comes as a disappointment for MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher, the decision was ultimately about the health and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, fans and employees at the MAC Tournament.

“We’re disappointed on a lot of levels,” MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said. “Obviously first and foremost for the student-athletes and our fans. We’re disappointed that this event has been an economic driver within this community.”
Had the tournament continued, the MAC had a plan in place to get input from its student-athletes — something that we had yet to see in the NCAA.
“We were going to have the Athletics Director or their Designee visit individually and ask every student-athlete was comfortable with competing or not and so that the students would have a chance to have a voice in this if they wanted to continue,” Steinbrecher said.
Steinbrecher, like many, are at a loss for words. At this point, it’s learning on the job and protecting all that are involved.
“How do I feel? I don’t even know how to answer that right now,” Steinbrecher said.  “You’re working the problem, you’re working the issue. We’re concerned with making sure that we are doing everything possible to mitigate risk factors for our students and for our student-athletes and for our fans and anyone interacting in our programs.”
NCAA March Madness and all spring sports have been cancelled as well.