Illinois cancels on-campus visits in response to the spread of Coronavirus
Head coach Lovie Smith announced Thursday that Illinois is canceling all on-campus recruiting visits in response to the spread of COVID-19, otherwise known as Coronavirus.
Smith announced it was purely a precautionary measure taken in order to protect the safety of everyone involved. He did not specify when visits would resume.
As a precautionary measure to protect the safety of coaches, players, staff, and the community amid the spread of COVID-19, we have cancelled all visits to campus. We apologize for any inconvenience.
— Lovie Smith (@LovieSmith) March 12, 2020
It has certainly been a busy day in the world of sports. On Thursday, a number of conferences canceled their basketball tournaments while multiple professional leagues have also suspended or delayed play in response to the virus.
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Within the B1G, Michigan announced it is canceling its Friday Pro Day while Penn State has also suspended football-related activities.
The bigger story, for now, is the NCAA tournament that is expected to tip off next week. As of now, March Madness is still scheduled to take place without fans in attendance, but that could change moving forward.
