UGA Suspends Football Practices

ATHENS - Georgia’s spring practices are on hold for now. 

The Bulldogs were set to open spring football practices on Tuesday, but UGA athletic director Greg McGarity said Friday that the Bulldogs won’t start practice. 

McGarity told a local radio station that practices for football will be stopped for “weeks”. Nearly all sporting events in the United States have been cancelled. 

A slew of schools in the SEC either paused or stopped their spring football practices this week. 

The University of Georgia will not hold classes for the next two weeks. Students have been asked by authorities to stay away from UGA until Sunday March 29, 2020. The NCAA, on Thursday, took the extraordinary step of cancelling all championships for the rest of the 2019-20 academic year. 

Meanwhile, the SEC has put a moratorium on in-person recruiting for all member institutions. The league’s language towards the NCAA grew increasingly frustrated as the week grew on. 

“We did have conversations about recruiting I referenced and have stopped off campus and on campus recruiting for a period of time. That could be extended. I've identified the NCAA needs to fully engage on this issue as well. The practice issue may be for them nationally. I think we had some conversations. I don't know that we came to a destination, so that means it's still on that list that we're creating,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said Thursday.