EASTON, Pa. – In order to help manage the spread of COVID-19, Lafayette College has enacted a series of steps which includes a cancellation of all campus events and school-sponsored travel from March 16 through April 5. All athletic competitions will be suspended during the period.

The College will move to remote teaching and learning for the two weeks following spring break, from March 23 through April 5. After the three-week absence, students are expected to return to campus and resume in-person classes along with athletic practices and competitions.

"While I share the disappointment of our student-athletes and coaching staffs, this is part of a broader action aimed at protecting the health of our students, faculty and staff as individuals, as well as protecting the health of our entire community when all of us return to campus," director of athletics Sherryta Freeman wrote in an email to student-athletes and athletic department staff members.

"One of the things that's special about Lafayette is that its commitment to Division I athletics arises from an understanding that athletic competition at the highest level can be an important part of the educational experience for all students, athletes and non-athletes," added Freeman. "The importance of Lafayette athletics rests within its contribution to the overall education that the College offers. Lafayette is first and foremost an academic institution, and continuing to hold athletic contests while making significant adjustments to our delivery of the academic program would be inconsistent with who we are as Leopards."