To our Pioneer Student-Athletes,
As I write this message today, I fully understand the range of emotions that you are all experiencing. You are angry, disappointed, shocked, scared, frustrated, etc.… it is natural for you to be experiencing all of these feelings and you should allow yourself time to process them. I can assure you that your coaches, trainers, professors and administrators are experiencing the same types of feelings. We are all trying to deal with an unprecedented situation and we are truly in unchartered territory. I believe when we all have more time to process everything, we will agree that the health and safety of our citizens is what is truly important. Although we are dealing with some uncertainty, I am confident that GOD is in control and HE has a Master Plan.
The NCAA Board of Governors and the Division II Administrative Committee met on Friday and have provided us with some guidance. Our compliance team will be working closely with the conference office and the NCAA to establish our next steps in regards to eligibility of our spring sport student-athletes. I am confident that the NCAA and our conference office will do what is right in regards to this situation. Once we have formalized a plan, your coaches will be contacting you to provide updates. I would ask for your patience as we hope to have all of the answers we will need in the coming days.
I want all of you to know how proud we are of you and how you represent our University. There have been many things to celebrate this academic year and I believe many more were to come during the spring term. Moving forward it is imperative that all of you take ownership of your academic responsibilities for the remainder of the term. Please continue to check your Tusculum email address and please communicate with your professors and instructors on a daily basis. The University and the Athletic Department will continue to provide updates as they become available. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any member of our team if we can be of any further assistance.
We are praying for all of you. We are all one big family and we must support one another during this difficult time. Please remember, life will provide daily challenges and we will be judged on how we respond. Stay positive and continue to focus on the things that you can control.
Sincerely,
Doug Jones
Vice President of Athletics and University Initiatives
Tusculum University