The collegiate sports world won’t spin today.
NCAA officials have agreed to cancel all of today’s sporting events after the White House announced that today would serve as a national day of prayer and remembrance.
“Since the White House has indicated to the NCAA that Friday will be a national day of mourning, Conference USA has postponed all competition,” C-USA Commissioner Mike Slive said. “The national day of mourning provides our institutions an opportunity to reflect on this week’s tragic events and pay respects to the victims and their families.”
However, Philip Chamberlain, University of Memphis men’s tennis coach, said late Thursday he planned to compete this morning in the MTSU Invitational in Murfreesboro, Tenn., a three-day tournament which was scheduled to begin today.
“I heard that soccer had been postponed and they canceled volleyball, but we’re set to play in the morning,” Chamberlain said while en route to Murfreesboro.
The U of M announced Thursday the women’s soccer match in Starkville against Mississippi State, which had been scheduled for today, has been rescheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. The team was also scheduled to play Ole Miss on Sunday. Instead, the game will be played Monday at 6 p.m. at Echles Field.
The men’s soccer match with Western Michigan, which was scheduled for Sunday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Collierville, has been canceled.
Meanwhile, the women’s volleyball team will play local teams this weekend after Florida Atlantic canceled its weekend tourney in Boca Raton, Fla. The Lady Tigers are now scheduled to play two matches Saturday — at CBU at 1 p.m. and at Rhodes College at 4:30 p.m.
While the Tiger football team has the week off, C-USA also decided to postpone or cancel all conference football games scheduled for Saturday, according to Pete Rhoda, C-USA assistant director of communications.
Rhoda said individual institutions, including The University of Memphis, will make their own decisions about whether and when to play other sporting events.
