D-3 school in Springfield, Ohio cancels sporting events through Sunday over safety concerns
Wittenberg University, a Division III school in Springfield, Ohio, has canceled all athletic events through Sunday due to campus safety concerns, it said Tuesday. The university did not specify the concerns but said the threats were “ongoing.”
The university has also announced that all classes will be held remotely for the remainder of the week.
On Saturday, Wittenberg canceled all school events for Sunday, including all scheduled sporting events. After assessing new threats on Monday, the school decided to continue with precautions while working with law enforcement.
“Following additional threats received on Monday, September 16, and in the context of ongoing threats of violence on our campus and in the Springfield community, Wittenberg will operate fully remote for the remainder of the week (Monday, September 16 – Sunday, September 22). The university takes every threat seriously, and the Wittenberg Police Department works closely with other law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate all threats made against our campus, employees, and students,” the school said in a statement.
Security concerns began last week after the presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump repeated an unsubstantiated rumor that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were kidnapping and eating pets.
On Monday, two elementary schools were evacuated because of bomb threats. The New York Times reported that there have been 33 bomb threats targeting schools in the city since Trump’s impeachment. Springfield City Hall and two hospitals have also been threatened, the Times reported.
On Monday, DeWine said he would send state police into town to assure Springfield residents they were safe.
“We must take every threat seriously, but children deserve to go to school, and parents deserve to know their children are safe,” the governor said. “The added security will help alleviate some of the fears caused by these hoaxes.”
Wittenberg had scheduled several teams to compete in various events from Tuesday through Sunday, including men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s tennis, hockey, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer and golf.
“We recognize that this may be disruptive to previously scheduled athletic events and all participants, but we ask for your understanding during this difficult time for our university and our extended Springfield community,” a Wittenberg Athletics spokesperson said in a statement provided to The Athletics later on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, all intercollegiate athletic events in Wittenberg have been canceled through Sunday, September 22 due to ongoing concerns about campus safety.
— Wittenberg Athletics (@WittAthletics) September 17, 2024
With many students choosing to study from home, Wittenberg’s athletic staff has indicated that they will work with student-athletes to develop individual training plans until sports are allowed again.
In addition, the school will attempt to reschedule games missed for safety reasons.
“Our coaching staff is also currently exploring other options to replace the games that Wittenberg will miss this week, including alternative playing options and even practice games,” the statement said.
For the Wittenberg women’s cross country team, the cancellation means the champions of the two conferences will miss the All-Ohio Championship events scheduled for Friday.
(Photo: Luke Sharrett/Getty Images)
