LEWISBURG, Pa. — The news that there will be no fall football at Bucknell is just the latest gut punch to businesses in Lewisburg.

Folks were out grabbing a bite to eat there along Market Street on a sunny Monday in Lewisburg.

With Bucknell University so close to the downtown businesses district, many dining establishments say a lot of their customers are students from the school.

“They always come in, like every day. They loved me and my mom. They always come in and have conversations with us. So yeah, they helped us a lot with profit and everything,” said Anthony Hibbert who runs the Lewisburg Delicatessen with his mother.

Now the Patriot League, which includes Bucknell, announced it is canceling fall sports at nearly all its schools because of the pandemic.

For businesses in Lewisburg’s downtown, the loss of sporting events at Bucknell means a loss of money.

“I would say it’s definitely disappointing to see that they’re not going to have any events this fall,” said Ben Frankle, a server at Brendan’s Towne Tavern.

Emily DiGaetano is a field hockey player for Susquehanna University.
She was there at Bucknell’s football stadium getting in some practice.
She knows some of the players on Bucknell’s field hockey team.

“I coach with them so can’t imagine how upsetting it is going to your senior year and not being able to finish out, especially with a family-like setting,” said DiGaetano. “I know it’s heartbreaking. I don’t know how I would feel in that situation.”

Newswatch 16 spoke with Bucknell’s athletic director over the phone who said there were numerous conversations between the Patriot League and its schools’ athletic directors.

“Given what we see nationally and the health and safety being paramount, we just made a decision that we’re not able to go,” said Jermaine Truax.

While fall sports were canceled, Bucknell officials say they plan to bring students back to campus when classes resume.

Bucknell says students will return on August 17th, which is a week earlier than usual.

There will be no fall break with students returning home for winter break by Thanksgiving.

Final exams will be taken remotely.

The Patriot League says a decision about holding winter and spring sports will be made at a later date.