CHAPEL HILL — Hours after the North Carolina High School Athletic Association announced restrictions surrounding Saturday’s state basketball championships, the governing body of the state’s high school sports suspended all sporting events for the foreseeable future.
The decision from the Board of Directors came following the cancelation of several college and professional sporting events around the state due to the health concern surrounding the spread of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus.
The Atlantic Coast Conference canceled its conference tournament earlier on Thursday, and the National Basketball Association suspended its season indefinitely on Wednesday after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the disease.
Per his own social media account, Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita also tested positive. The World Health Organization declared the current crisis as a “global pandemic” on Wednesday.
Per the NCHSAA in an updated press release, the suspension of high school athletics across the entire state will take effect at 11:59 p.m. on Friday and remain in place “until at least April 6.”
“The Board of Directors also moved to suspend interscholastic athletics… The NCHSAA Board of Directors will assess this situation regularly over the next few weeks,” the press release read.
Included in the suspension of sports are all workouts, skill development sessions, practices, and games and contests.
Richmond Senior High School will be able to squeeze in a handful more sporting events before the suspension begins.
On Thursday, the boys’ tennis, girls’ soccer and boys’ and girls’ track and field teams will all be in action.
Just hours ahead of the start of the suspension, the varsity and junior varsity baseball and softball programs will compete against Purnell Swett High School on Friday.
No word on any further changes from Richmond athletic director Rob Ransom was available at the time of publication.
This is a developing story. ROSports will continue to update readers as new announcements and developments are made.
