COVID-19 Update: Letter from Athletics Director Ray Tanner
Dear Gamecocks,
I hope this finds you all safe and healthy as we continue to adjust to the challenges placed before us by the COVID-19 pandemic and the trying times our Gamecock family and the nation has endured over the past month.
In the past few weeks, I have witnessed tremendous strength from our student-athletes and coaches. Our student-athletes have adjusted from on-campus practices and competitions to training at home and attending classes on-line. Our coaches are great leaders and they have adjusted during these unprecedented times.
The conversations that I have had with our student-athletes and coaches have made me proud. Proud to see the character of our Gamecocks when truly put to a test. Proud to see their resilience when faced with these challenges. I am proud to be the person that gets to lead these incredible young people and advocate on their behalf.
In that vein, we are extremely excited to be offering the opportunity, allowed by the NCAA, for any spring student-athlete who had their final year of eligibility cut short to return to campus for another year of eligibility. The financial challenge of funding scholarships for this additional year is sizable and thus, not mandatory. However, our student-athletes are of great character and they perform in the classroom and in competition. There is no doubt that this is the right thing to do.
During this time where terms like social distancing, quarantine and shelter-in-place are used with great frequency, our department’s goal is to remain connected with all of our stakeholders, despite this “new normal.” Whether it be through a note like this one, engaging with you on social media or the community efforts like those of Coach Muschamp and his family through the Feed Our Heroes initiative, we strive to stay engaged in the community and to be there for you as we get through this together.
Reflecting on the decisions of the past month, the efforts made by those within our campus community to act swiftly and prioritize safety in the face of uncertain times has left us well positioned to deal with the challenges of this virus. While none of us know what the future holds, we remain enthusiastic about the first chance to get out our rally towels and enjoy “Sandstorm” as we gather once again “under a Carolina sky…under the palmettos, beneath the crescent moon” as a Gamecock community and as a family.
Forever to Thee,
Ray Tanner
