Despite concerns over how the COVID-19 pandemic, with cases continuing to rise, could affect those in and around Western Carolina University, Catamount Athletics and new Director Alex Gary remain in “business as usual” mode.
On Friday, May 29th, Chancellor Kelli R. Brown announced the outline for students to return to campus in the fall, with the first day of classes slated for August 17th. This plan, among other things, would have every student out of campus by the first week of December, a strategy employed by other schools in the UNC system.
Also on the 29th, the Catamount Athletics Twitter account posted the following:
Catamount Athletics tweets out intention to have fans in the stands.
A simple enough tweet, right? In normal times, yes. But we are not living in normal times, far from it. COVID-19 has upended the very fabric of American society, and likely pushed it to the brink of economic collapse. To publicly state “‘Whee will see you soon” is optimistic at best considering the rise in COVID-19 cases in North Carolina.
Unlike with pro sports, college programs cannot simply create a “bubble” to isolate players and avoid an outbreak because of other factors that limit them, students athletes attending in person classes being one. Therefore, there exists a very likely world in which teams would play on Saturday and contract the virus via asymptomatic players or coaches, return to campus on Sunday, and spread the virus to their classmates on Monday. This is a scary proposition to consider, but one that Chancellor Brown and newly appointed Athletics Director Alex Gary must look at, just like every other Division 1, 2, and 3 school in the country. The school’s announcement of a hybrid teaching format might somewhat alleviate this, but there’s ultimately no way of stopping an outbreak without a robust testing apparatus for student athletes and staff, something the Athletics Department has yet to announce it is doing.
The Journalist reached out for comment to Mr. Gary on what the full plan for resuming play in the fall is, but received no response.
Shortly afterwards, Athletics announced seven athletes have tested positive so far. Even still, they remain on course towards a return to play. Schedules have been set for some time now and have not been altered, like Western’s football season opener against Eastern Kentucky, slated for 3 PM on September 5th. Additionally, turf replacement for Bob Waters Field at E.J. Whitmier Stadium was recently completed.
Recruitment has not slowed down, either. Women’s Basketball Coach Kiley Hill told The Journalist via e-mail that rosters have been replenished after a few key departures, albeit in less than ideal circumstances.
Women’s basketball bench, spring 2020.
“The lack of opportunity to schedule a campus visit (official or unofficial) has been the most challenging and frustrating, but all programs are facing the same scenario. Also evaluating kids in a live setting so decisions can be made has also made things challenging as I have alluded too. There are so many kids now who are committing without ever being on a schools campus or meeting the teammates they will play with. Virtual recruiting can reduce budget costs but can never replace the one on one interaction. Only time will tell if this turns out to be a good or bad thing,” wrote Hill.
The Lady Catamounts went through a major overhaul this summer, bringing in eight new players (one will sit out this year as a redshirt) that Hill said “all believed in our vision along with the WCU’s up and coming revitalization.” One of those new to the Whee, incoming Freshman Zanoria Cruz (Guard from Lake Highland Prep), expressed to The Journalist her burning desire to go out and hit the hardwood again.
“The prospect of playing in the fall really excites me,” said Cruz. “I understand the risk that playing would entail, even with all precautions being taken, but I’m willing to take that risk; I’m ready to get back on the court and make some noise this season.”
Coach Hill agreed with Cruz’s sentiment, arguing that athletics act as a “connector” of sorts.
“Everyone is ready to get back to some form of normalcy.”
Connector or not, Athletics as a whole could pose a threat to the larger student body if not handled correctly. Mr. Gary will likely have to face one of the biggest challenges of his career in the beginning of his tenure. How this plays out, well, Coach Hill put it best.
“Only time will tell.”
