Indiana athletic director Fred Glass released a memo to Indiana student-athletes Monday regarding how the department plans to handle the hiatus implemented by the NCAA and the Big Ten until at least April 5.
After the NCAA and Big Ten halted all organized team activity until at least April 5 and the rest of the sports world, including the NBA, the MLB and the NHL, stopped most activity throughout the end of last week due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, Indiana athletic director Fred Glass released a memo to IU student-athletes Monday summarizing the happenings and updating how IU Athletics plans to be available to the athletes during the hiatus.
"While the measures have been taken on the advice of the best medical professionals available to protect the public health, including your health, in the face of a World Health Organization declared global pandemic, that does not lessen the impact of your personal sacrifice on you. Again, I am very sorry," Glass said in the memo. "I strongly encourage you, even as necessary medical protocols physically separate us, to look for safe ways for us to stay together as a community by staying connected, such as by phone and social media, especially with those of us who are most vulnerable."
Glass touched on the following:
-- Indiana University shut down face-to-face classes for the rest of the semester.
-- Spring break is extended through March 29.
-- Residence halls will close March 20, unless a "hardship exception" is appropriate.
-- "Gyms, fitness centers, pools, and other similar venues, specifically including those associated with athletics programs" will be closed until at least April 5.
Glass then laid out areas of priority for the student-athletes – Health care (including mental health care), academics, athletic activity, issues of eligibility.
Highlighting those areas of concern were the issues in eligibility, where Glass reiterated that student-athletes in spring sports, as the Division I Council Coordination Committee agreed, will receive eligibility relief. Those spring sports include sports like baseball, softball and track and field.
Glass also touched on winter sports, leaving the door open to the possibility of some sort of eligibility relief.
"It is also possible that some relief may be granted for participants in winter sports," Glass said in the memo. "The Council advised that the appropriate governance bodies would have to work through the detailed issues in the coming days and weeks."
The biggest point of emphasis regarding health care was that mental health care will still be provided to student-athletes as usual but will need to be remote. As far as physical health care, the Indiana athletic trainers are anticipated to assist student-athletes in transitioning care to local providers near the athletes' homes.
The IU Athletics academic staff is also currently working to find ways to assist student-athletes remotely.
In terms of how athletes can stay physically active during the hiatus, Glass noted that facilities will not be open until at least April 5, that workouts outside of facilities cannot be organized by IU personnel and that those workouts should not be done in close proximity of others. The athletic department is searching for "a mechanism to create opportunities for 'virtual' workouts to combine some exercise with a sense of community."
Glass has not made himself available to the media at this time.
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