One UK player was Florida-bound for break. Now? He’ll probably catch up on anime.
The University of Kentucky on Thursday morning conducted its final spring football practice before spring break. Will it be its last in 2020?
As of Thursday, there was no official word on how the university will handle spring football practice or its annual spring game in light of concerns about COVID-19. UK announced Wednesday it would transition to online-only instruction through April 3, two weeks following the end of its scheduled spring break next week.
UK President Eli Capilouto in a campus-wide email said the university will remain open and that staff operations will continue as normal, and that campus events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Head coach Mark Stoops was requested for comment but not made available to the media on Thursday. Defensive coordinator Brad White, who was scheduled to appear in advance, spoke with reporters but deflected a question about how spring football might continue.
The Southeastern Conference, in which most of Kentucky’s sports teams compete, has suspended regular-season spring sporting events through March 30, at which time it will re-evaluate the policy, but spring practices are not included in that suspension. The conference, along with several others, on Thursday canceled the remainder its postseason basketball tournaments. The league also on Thursday suspended all activities related to the recruitment of future athletes.
Michigan and Ohio State, members of the Big Ten Conference, have canceled their spring football games scheduled for mid-April but will continue practicing. No members of the SEC have announced spring-game cancellations; UK’s annual Blue-White scrimmage is scheduled for April 12.
UK defensive tackle Phil Hoskins originally planned to spend his spring break with friends in Florida. Those plans are likely to be put to bed as concerns about the coronavirus have intensified in the U.S.
“I’m not even worried about the sports part of it,” Hoskins said. “That’s a worldwide thing that’s actually real. When it’s in other countries, it’s like, ‘OK.’ You learn about it and think about it. But now it’s in our front yard. It’s different, for sure.”
Defensive end Josh Paschal told reporters that UK’s players were instructed not to comment about how COVID-19 could affect the spring practice period. Hoskins said, after Stoops brought them in for a meeting in which the virus was discussed, it took his focus away from practice momentarily.
He was able to re-avert his attention to football once they took to the field Thursday morning. Assuming his plans are kaput, Hoskins will stay in Lexington to get ahead on classwork, play XBOX and catch up on some anime.
“’Dragonball Z,’ that’s the best right there,” Hoskins said. “ ... I’ve been watching ‘My Hero Academia.’ I gotta finish that so I can go see the movie.”
Defensive back Cedrick Dort expressed sympathy for people directly affected by the coronavirus. He plans to remain in Lexington during spring break to get in some extra workouts.
“It’s tragic, for real, for the people who are losing loved ones,” Dort said. “I’m just trying to stay safe and making sure my family stays safe, my friends, my teammates. Everybody I know and love needs to stay safe, that’s the main focus right now.”
Dort went to shake a reporter’s hand then paused and balled up his fist for a bump.
“Gotta get right about that, definitely,” he said.
