Oberlin College cancels all fall sports programs

OBERLIN — In a letter to student-athletes Wednesday, Oberlin College announced the cancellation of all of this season's fall sports. "We have been working tirelessly to establish the strategies to mitigate the impact of the virus, particularly as it relates to athletics," the letter said. "We have spent countless hours exploring ways in which we could provide you with a competitive experience that is safe, devoid of daily disruption and uncertainty. "After consultation with several members of the Board of Trustees, NCAC officials, presidents and athletic directors within our conference and beyond, and public health professionals, we have reluctantly come to the conclusion that conducting fall sports safely is just not possible at this time. "We do not believe that we can create a safe framework to conduct fall sports because of the high contact required in almost all of the sports. We found the risk that this would place on our student-athletes to be unacceptable. Just as importantly, it would extend risk to our campus community, and, if we were to compete against other teams, it would extend the risk to our competitors and vice-versa." It said the athletics staff will shift its focus and energies toward building an experience that will still provide student-athletes the physical and mental challenges they desire.