After holding out hope of possibly resuming activities later this spring, UIL officials Friday officially ran out the clock on the rest of the 2019-20 season.
In an effort to promote the health and safety of students, staff and parents, the UIL, which oversees high school athletic, academic and music competition in Texas, canceled all of its spring activities for the remainder of the school year, according to a press release. The announcement came hours after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced all public and private schools will remain shuttered for the rest of the school year and continue at-home learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charles Breithaupt, UIL Executive Director, said in a statement interscholastic activity “cannot continue” without school being in session. The UIL had been working on possibly resuming activities this spring, Breithaupt said.
“Our highest priority during this challenging time is ensuring the health and safety of our students and communities and making progress in the containment of COVID-19 in Texas,” Breithaupt said. “We are now turning our attention to the 2020-21 school year.”
The UIL’s cancellation comes roughly a month after the league originally suspended play due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which as of April 17 has infected more than 17,000 Texans and has led to 428 deaths in the state.
