In the wake of Tuesday's national tragedy, the Penn Athletic Department, along with those of four other Ivy League schools, decided yesterday to put all intercollegiate sporting events on hold through the weekend.
Penn joined Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth and Harvard in delaying all scheduled events as of last night. Yale announced a similar course of action Wednesday. Princeton, however, plans to go forward with most athletic events, while Columbia will proceed with only one -- tomorrow's football game at Fordham.
Penn's decision, which came on the heels of a late-afternoon announcement that all Division I-A football games would be canceled, was made after taking into account the mood on campus and around the nation.
"The continued intensity of discussion and emotions within our community, coupled with President Bush proclaiming Friday a `National Day of Prayer and Remembrance,' led us to conclude that it would be more appropriate to cancel our contests," Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said in a written statement issued at approximately 7 p.m. last night.
Although the football team returned to practice on Wednesday, its season-opener against Lehigh will be postponed as a result of the Athletic Department's decision, which received the support of head coach Al Bagnoli.
Penn's volleyball team was also affected by yesterday's decision. The squad was originally scheduled to play three games in California this weekend, but the trip was canceled on Wednesday due to the events of the past week.
Tuesday's game against Temple was also postponed, set first to be played the following day, then tentatively moved to next Wednesday. After the cancellation of the California excursion, the Temple game was moved again to Sunday, only to tentatively return to its Wednesday slot in light of the Athletic Department's announcement.
"We don't know what the right or wrong thing [to do] was," Penn volleyball coach Kerry Major said. "But obviously if people are [canceling games], this must be the right thing to do.
"This is so much bigger than our little school," Major added. "We just want to do what's right."
The Penn men's soccer team also had two games scheduled for this weekend. Instead, they will continue training while the Athletic Department considers the prospect of a midweek replacement game.
"Obviously, any player wants to compete on any day, but I'd have to say that as a coaching staff and a program, our thoughts have been elsewhere recently," Penn men's soccer coach Rudy Fuller said.
"In light of what obviously has occurred and out of respect for those involved, certainly I agree with the decision [made by the Athletic Department]," he added.
Other teams whose games were canceled this weekend include field hockey, women's cross country, golf, men's tennis and women's soccer. In addition, the sprint football alumni game scheduled for tomorrow will not be played.
While a majority of the Ivies have decided to put sports on the back burner, Princeton and Columbia stand alone in taking to the field this weekend.
Columbia's football team will be the lone Lions' team in competition tomorrow, but Princeton has already gone forward with events as scheduled. The Tigers played a field hockey and a men's soccer game yesterday.
Notable exceptions to that plan by Princeton, however, include the cancellation of the men's water polo trip to California and of a four-team volleyball tournament, which was to have been held in Washington, both of which have been put off for safety reasons.
In addition, Saturday's Princeton's field hockey game has been postponed due to Yale's temporary suspension of athletic competition and tomorrow's football season-opener has been postponed as a result of a similar decision made by Lafayette.
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