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No fall sports at Lock Haven University will have a major financial impact on local businesses.
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — There will be no sports this fall at Lock Haven University. The university recently announced that sports competition will not resume until January of 2021.
“We kind of knew that news was coming, it makes sense. We certainly agree with it and it was the right decision but it is going to be a tough couple of months with no athletics and no athletic competition on campus,” said Doug Spatafore with Lock Haven University Athletics.
University officials tell Newswatch 16 that this decision was not an easy one and that they feel terrible for both students and the Lock Haven community.
“We understand the decision and agree with it but my heart goes out to the student-athletes, I really feel for them right now. They came to Lock Haven University to get their education and participate in athletics and that has been taken away from them for a short time,” said Spatafore.
Businesses in downtown Lock Haven say not having sports at the university this fall will hurt them financially.
“Oh it will have a big impact on us and the whole downtown because a lot of people come in like past alumni and all that,” said Phillip Anastos of Texas Lunch Restaurant.
“Usually we are extremely busy during football games and all the other sports that they have during the fall keep us really busy and homecoming for football would have been one of our busiest days of the year,” said Jess Donnell of Hangar 9 Restaurant and Lounge.
The owner of Texas Lunch, a restaurant in downtown Lock Haven, says there is still a silver lining.
“We’re looking forward to the university coming back since they left early in March and that was a big hit on the economy too, so we are looking forward to it and hope everything works out,” said Anastos.
According to officials at Lock Haven University, the school is working on a plan to move all of its fall sports to the spring semester.
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