COVID concerns have walloped the college swimming & diving schedule for the second straight weekend, with at least 8 more cancellations of NCAA Division I swimming & diving meets over the last 36 hours.
That makes for at least 19 D1 meets, and many other D2, D3, and NAIA meets, that have been canceled because of ongoing COVID-19 concerns.
Some of these meets are being canceled because of specific outbreaks within participating teams, while others are being canceled by cautious coaches that don’t want to risk quarantines ahead of the upcoming championship season, which will begin in about 3 weeks.
Utah Cancels Trips to Arizona, Arizona State
The University of Utah has canceled its weekend trip to Arizona, where they were scheduled to race Pac-12 foes the Arizona State Sun Devils on Friday and the University of Arizona on Saturday.
Utah says that the meets were canceled due to “COVID healdh and safety protocols within Utah’s program.”
The meets will not be rescheduled.
Utah’s next scheduled racing is a home meet against Washington State (women only) on Friday, January 21, followed by a men’s and women’s tri meet against Denver and Colorado Mesa for Senior Day on Saturday, January 22.
The Arizona meet was planned as the Wildcats’ Senior Day meet, and they have no rescheduled those ceremonies for their February 5th dual meet at home against Arizona State.
Cincinnati-Kenyon Canceled
A weekend dual meet between the University of Cincinnati and Division III superpower Kenyon has been canceled, with Cincinnati saying that it’s because of “COVID-19 protocols within the Kenyon program.”
Cincinnati is scheduled to race next weekend at home against Xavier before finishing their regular season schedule with back-to-back dual meets against Kentucky and Louisville on the road. The Bearcats have not raced since a dual meet against Indiana on December 3. The AAC Conference Championships begin on February 16 in Houston.
Kenyon is scheduled to race Case Western and Ohio NOrthern next weekend at home before finishing their regular season on the road against Miami University (Ohio) on January 29. They’ll race at the NCAC Championships from February 9-12.
Cal Women vs. San Jose State Women Canceled
The Cal women and San Jose State women were scheduled to race on Monday, January 17, but that meet has been canceled. Neither team has commented publicly on the reasons for the cancelation.
The Golden Bear women still have a schedule thick with Pac-12 competition remaining. Next weekend, they’ll travel to Arizona and Arizona State on Friday, and the weekend after they’ll head to SoCal for meets against USC and UCLA.
The Golden Bears finish their regular season on February 12 at home against arch-rivals Stanford before heading to Seattle for the Pac-12 Championships that begin on February 23.
San Jose State has one regular season meet remaining, against Fresno State on January 29, before the Mountain West Championships begin on February 16.
San Jose State head coach Sage Hopkins received some final vindication this week when a retaliation lawsuit against the university was settled with his employer after Hopkins reported sexual assault allegations against former sports medicine director Scott Shaw. Shaw was eventually found responsible for at least five sexual abuse allegations from current and former members of the university’s athletics teams during multiple Title IX investigations.
UIC Has Another Meet Canceled
University of Illinois – Chicago has had another meet canceled, with Saturday’s scheduled matchup against Green Bay after “Green Bay has paused their program due to COVID protocols.”
The team says they still plan to hold Senior Day festivities on Saturday, against a “TBA opponent.”
The Flames haven’t raced since November 20, when they finished the IUPUI House of Champions mid-season invite. Their duals last weekend against Cleveland State and IUPUI were canceled by COVID protocols, as was a Friday dual against Southern Illinois. The team was able to scramble up a replacement opponent for Friday, however, and will race against Valparaiso on the road in Indiana.
UIC finishes their regular season swimming competition on January 28 against cross-town opponents the University of Chicago.
Other Weekend Meets Canceled
Other new weekend cancellations include scheduled NCAA Division I dual meets between Monmouth and Sacred Heart, plus Mount Saint Mary’s and Lafayette. D1 school South Dakota State has also canceled its meet against D2 opponents St. Cloud State.
Previously-Announced Cancellations
- Texas-Ohio State-Kentucky
- UNC-NC State
- LSU-Florida State
- Notre Dame-Princeton-Navy
- West Virginia-Pitt
- Denison-Pitt
- UIC-Southern Illinois
- Georgia Southern-Campbell-SCAD
- Missouri State-Drury
- Oakland-Youngstown State
- UMBC-Howard
ASU held their Senior Day as and intersquad meet after the cancellation of ASU v Utah due to covid. Might want to check out the 200 free and 200IM results of yesterdays ASU intersquad meet which was held in place of the Covid cancelled ASU v Utah meet. Ryan Held participated in both mens events to provide some competition.Results: 200 free; 1st Marchand; 1.33.26 2nd House; 1.33.59 Held; 1.34.34 200IM; 1st Marchand; 1.42.67 2nd House 1.44.45 Held; 1.45.62. Not bad times for an intersquad meet!
UIC swam Valpo tonight.
So sad. Stop living in fear. College athletes are gonna live through this. They are incredibly fit and healthy
Democrats = FEAR