On Jan. 3, the Ontario government shut down most sports leagues as part of restrictions to limit the spread of the Omicron variant. While amateur leagues considered elite could continue operations, Ontario University Athletics (OUA) did not receive this designation.
The OUA and its athletes should certainly be considered elite, but the decision to exclude them may have been made to avoid inconsistencies in COVID-19 restrictions. It would be unfair to students if athletes could continue training while classes are online.
The OUA had paused programming until Jan. 24, but the provincial restrictions—in place until Jan. 27—restrict indoor practice. This means the OUA will have to extend its shutdown longer so athletes can ramp up training when restrictions end, according to OUA president and CEO Gord Grace.
It does not make sense to say the leagues still allowed to play are more elite than the OUA. Some, like the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), might be. But there are also leagues composed of younger, less experienced players that received elite status. These include the U18 Elite Baseball League of Ontario and the high school Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA).
While high schools are allowed to play, the OUA, with many players on the verge of playing professionally, is not. Just looking at Carleton athletes who have recently gone pro shows how elite the OUA is.
In men’s hockey, former Carleton Ravens goaltender François Brassard made his American Hockey League (AHL) debut last month for the Hartford Wolf Pack, a team just one tier below the NHL. Additionally, five 2021-22 Ravens men’s hockey players have signed professional contracts in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and European leagues in the past month.
Carleton men’s basketball players Alain Louis, Lloyd Pandi and Grant Shephard have played in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), a summer league. They played alongside and against players who have signed NBA contracts, including Lindell Wigginton. Wigginton became the fifth CEBL player to sign an NBA contract—and first to ink a full-season deal—when he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks last week.
Carleton alumni have also gone on to play in the CFL, such as Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive back Tunde Adeleke, who has played in four consecutive Grey Cups.
Ravens have also had professional success in soccer. Former Ravens Stefan Karajovanovic and Tony Mikhael both signed professional contracts in the Canadian Premier League (CPL) last year. On Tuesday, Carleton rookie Matteo de Brienne signed with Valour FC of the CPL.
This professional success is proof the OUA trains at an elite level. It doesn’t make sense for athletes regularly signing pro contracts and playing against NHL and NBA players to not be considered so.
If the decision to restrict the OUA from playing now was not based on the league’s status, the province should have been more transparent about its decision process. Perhaps the decision was made to avoid any inconsistencies in COVID-19 restrictions at universities.
It would be confusing and perhaps frustrating for Carleton students if they saw the hockey and basketball teams playing when campus buildings are closed, the residence cafeteria is takeout only and in-person discussion groups—some with fewer than 20 people—are being held online.
OUA athletes could be facing unfair treatment because of their association with universities, but it would also be unfair to students if sports took priority over education. The OUA deserves to be considered elite but it can’t contribute to the spread of Omicron while students are kept at home to stop the spread.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
