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President Michael S. Roth ’78 sent an email to the Wesleyan community on Jan. 27 announcing the continued hiatus of varsity sports competition due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Three hours later, the NESCAC website published a letter signed by the presidents of each member school, confirming that Wesleyan’s decision was conference-wide. 

This is a continuation of Wesleyan’s policy from the fall, in which varsity athletic teams are allowed to practice—so long as certain safety criteria are met—but not play games.  

Roth expressed his personal disappointment with the changes to campus life the pandemic has necessitated. 

“Like so many Wesleyans, I would love to watch our athletes compete, as I would be delighted to see our musicians play and our actors perform,” he wrote in the email. “We all will have to wait until it is safe enough to do so.”

The issue of competition between schools will be revisited at the end of this month, though Roth lowered expectations that there will be any change to the policy.  

“It seems unlikely that we will have even a truncated season,” the email read. 

The NESCAC letter, however, left the possibility of competition this semester open, offering a rough timeline should spring sports become possible.

“If conference competition proves feasible, regular season conference play would likely not start until late March or early April, and would necessarily be limited in scope and duration,” the NESCAC presidents’ letter said.

Varsity sports will resume workouts and practices following the end of the quarantine period.

Will Slater can be reached at wslater@wesleyan.edu.