3 Mountain West members to hold most classes online this fall — a bad sign for athletics
The California State University system will have its schools hold the majority of fall classes online and only open campuses for students in areas of study that require hands-on learning.
Chancellor Timothy P. White said Tuesday that it would be impractical to bring students back to campuses with experts predicting more waves of the coronavirus in the summer and fall, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. He said campuses will only open for students requiring clinical classes, essential labs, use of unique instruments and other special circumstances. He also said on-campus housing will be reduced, according to The Chronicle.
“Anything done on a campus this fall won’t be as it was in the past,” White said, according to The Chronicle.
The announcement doesn’t bode well for the prospect of a fall season in the Mountain West. Three conference schools fall under the umbrella of the California State University system: Fresno State, San Diego State and San Jose State.
Boise State hasn’t declared its intention for the fall semester yet.
Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson said in an interview in April that there would be no college athletics until the campuses of members are open and fully operational. He also said he didn’t support bringing back one team without bringing them all back.
“Unless they’re in full mode with dormitories and housing and all the other facilities open, we won’t have college athletics,” Thompson said. “I can’t imagine that we would bring football players back and not allow the other sports to come back.”
No decision has been made about the fall season, according to a joint statement released Tuesday evening and signed by Thompson, Fresno State President Joseph Castro, San Diego State President Adela de la Torre and San Jose State President Mary Papazian.
“Certainly, all conversations are led by academics, as well as public health and safety,” the statement said. “Within that framework, more determinations are necessary.”
The conference’s 12 members are spread across eight states, and Thompson said in April that conference leaders will rely on advice from state and national medical professionals before deciding when to reinstate athletics.
During his video interview in April, Thompson didn’t paint a pretty picture of a world without college football, and Tuesday’s announcement from the California State University system seems like a step in that direction.
“If there’s no college football this fall, there’s very little likelihood there will be any other sports,” Thompson said.
The Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association, which is largely populated by CSU schools, suspended NCAA competition for the fall season after White’s announcement.
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 4:48 PM.
