An Update from Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan
6/26/2021 5:48:00 PM | Pack Athletics
Dear Wolfpack Nation,
Frustrated, angry, sad, confused...there are so many emotions Wolfpack Nation is feeling right now. We are all heartbroken for our student-athletes and their families, and together as a community whose National Championship hopes abruptly ended during the heart of our ascent to the pinnacle of college baseball. There is no mistaking that COVID-19 reared its ugly head at the absolute worst time.
What transpired over the last 36 hours, and especially since midnight last night, has been hard to comprehend and even much more difficult to accept. Every step of the way we fought exhaustively for our players, coaches and staff and program, and for the opportunity to play for the national championship this team has worked so hard to reach. But at the end of the day, several of our players tested positive for COVID and we were not allowed to continue playing. While we can't discuss publicly everything that transpired, please know every effort was made to fight for the best interests of our program.
All day today, we have been trying to make sense of this with the NCAA while organizing travel to get our student-athletes, coaches and staff home safely. Â
A few points to know about this heart-wrenching situation:
- NC State's Athletic Department, coaches, staff and student-athletes have strictly followed the NCAA's COVID-19 protocols, throughout the season and during the CWS.
- Vaccination for our students is a personal decision. The university cannot require vaccines for our students, including our student athletes. Since vaccines were not available until after the start of the season, some of our players decided to wait until the completion of the season in case of side effects. We respect their rights to make personal healthcare decisions.
- We have confirmed that a number of our players who tested positive had previously been vaccinated. While rare, we know that breakthrough infections are possible for individuals who have been vaccinated. Fortunately, those who have been vaccinated and still get COVID are at much less risk for serious illness.
Again, this is a heartbreaking end to a remarkable season, but in no way diminishes this team's great accomplishments. Pack13, like our entire baseball program throughout this recent run, inspired us to continue to fight, to stand together and stand proud for our Wolfpack. Let's proudly stand together to recognize, honor, and show this team the great respect they deserve.
Always Fighting. Never Alone. Â
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Boo