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Softball -- and All Other NCAA Winter/Spring Sports -- Cancelled for Remainder of 2019-20 Year

As virtually any reader of this blog would know already, NCAA college softball -- and all other winter and spring sports -- is over for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year. In a March 12 announcement, the NCAA canceled all remaining national championship events under its jurisdiction, including the Women's College World Series, due to the worldwide Coronavirus outbreak.

Prior to that announcement, many conferences had cancelled regular-season games and/or conference-championship events. As a practical matter, once the NCAA national championships were canceled, there was seemingly no purpose in trying to play any regular games, even if the Coronavirus threat were to diminish. Hence, the season is over.

Presumably, there will be further news developments regarding college softball and other sports, such as details over how athletes who played partial seasons (such as softballers) will receive a full or partial year of extra eligibility to make up for their lost opportunity to compete any further this year. As of now, the NCAA has come out in favor of some general sort of "eligibility relief."

Perhaps lost in the shuffle is news that Cal coach Diane Ninemire had retired midseason (March 4) due to health issues. According to this Flo Softball article, Ninemire had "guided Cal to a national championship [in 2002] and a dozen trips to the Women's College World Series in 32 years at the helm."

I expect to chime in over the coming months with updates. Other than that, I'll see you next February...

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