Virginia cancels women’s basketball season, because sports in a pandemic is a bad idea

This season was not going well for the Virginia women’s basketball team.

The Cavaliers started with a 26-point loss at Central Florida, then lost at home to East Carolina and James Madison. The coronavirus made its first impact on the schedule on Dec. 6, with the cancellation of a game at George Washington, and Virginia returned to the court four days later to lose its ACC opener to Clemson. A 69-51 loss at Florida State on Dec. 13 was the last time Virginia played, with the next six games all postponed, including Thursday night’s trip to N.C. State and this Sunday’s date with Georgia Tech.

Now, those postponements have become cancellations — and so has the rest of Virginia’s season.

Virginia joins Duke in calling off the remainder of its games this season, and it’s easy to wonder if the ACC’s scrubbing of campaigns will end with the Cavaliers.

N.C. State has been having a great season, at 10-0, but the Wolfpack past played on Jan. 3 against Boston College, and they won’t get back on the court until next Thursday at Florida State.

Pittsburgh’s game at Notre Dame on Thursday is postponed, the fourth straight contest the Panthers are missing, having last played at Florida State on Dec. 20.

Syracuse also last played on Dec. 20, and won’t be taking the court at Georgia Tech as scheduled on Thursday.

Florida State’s game on Thursday at Miami is postponed, and instead of hosting Clemson on Sunday, will visit Louisville for its first game since facing Virginia Tech on New Year’s Eve.

Clemson’s next game is now next Thursday at Boston College, and will be the Tigers’ first game in 11 days.

It’s almost as if trying to play a sports season, in a pandemic, outside of a bubble, and with constant interstate travel… is a bad idea?

The only surprising thing is that Virginia is only the second team in the ACC to come to the conclusion that a basketball season isn’t worth risking the health and safety of everyone involved. But it’s never too late to make the right decision.