NCAAW No. 1 UConn 77 St. John’s 32
UEFA Man United 4 Real Sociedad 0
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NBA Jazz 114 Clippers 96
NBA Hawks 122 Celtics 114
NHL (OT) Panthers 4 Hurricanes 3
FOR MORE SPORTS CONTENT, VISIT OUR WEB SITE goydn.com/YDNsports Twitter: @YDNSports YALE DAILY NEWS · FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 · yaledailynews.com
INSIDE YALE-UCONN FOOTBALL BACKGROUND ON THE IN-STATE RIVALRY When the two schools meet for the 50th time at Rentschler Field in October, UConn will pay Yale $285,000, according to public records obtained by the News. Despite not playing since 1998, the in-state rivalry thrived for a half century before UConn’s divisional realignment. For more, see goydn.com/YDNsports.
YALE FIGURE SKATING CLUB NEGOTIATING MOVE TO QUINNIPIAC After enjoying a presence at Yale’s Ingalls Rink for over 40 years, the Yale Figure Skating Club has been negotiating with Quinnipiac University to move the skating club’s home away from Yale, largely due to financial reasons, to the People’s United Center in Hamden. For more, see goydn.com/YDNsports.
Behind the Venue: Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center
"I think there is some confusion and disappointment with the timing of the [Ivy League grad waiver] since most deadlines for grad school have passed.” WILL LAIRD ’22 YALE CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER
Ivy League rule exception evokes confusion, hope
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The Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center has evolved to set the standards for collegiate tennis. BY HAMERA SHABBIR CONTRIBUTING REPORTER Until the Cullman Courts opened on Nov. 13, 1972, Yale was the only Ivy League institution without indoor tennis facilities. Thirty-six years and a renovation later, the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center would tie with the University of Pennsylvania for the most indoor courts in the Ivy League. THE HISTORY Portraits of Yale’s tennis teams — stretching back over 100 years on the men’s side — line the renovated walls of the Cary Leeds lobby. In place of the 1904 team, a sign reads: "A thorough search in 2008 was unable to locate a team portrait," and several scattered sheets declare the absence of formal competition during the World Wars. Above the trophy displays and reaching across the lobby are rows of banners hanging from the ceiling featuring notable Yale tennis players. Those featured include recent graduates, players from the 19th century, all-American winners and Davis Cup champions.
“The history is very obvious when you go into the building,” men’s player Cody Lin ’22 said. The center received its name after being initially constructed through a generous donation from Joseph Cullman III ’35 and then renovated through a donation effort led by Samuel J. Heyman ’60. The facility has served generations of Yale men’s and women’s tennis teams and hosted prestigious tournaments, both for collegiate and professional players. Lauded as one of the best collegiate facilities by architectural critics, coaches and players, it continues to play an integral role in the history of Yale athletics and serve as an amenity to the larger Yale community. Commissioned through a matching donation from Cullman and bearing the name of his father, Joseph Cullman Jr., class of 1904, the original Cullman Courts complex cost $400,000 to build, nearly $2.5 million in today’s dollars. Herbert Newman designed the facility with functionality and cost minimization in mind as the University experienced financial issues. The project and donor were kept secret until a contractor accidentally leaked building
Ivy League spring-sport competition canceled BY EUGENIO GARZA GARCÍA STAFF REPORTER Early Thursday afternoon, the Ivy League announced that it would not hold a spring sports season this year.
IVY LEAGUE In an email sent to Yale’s spring sport student-athletes just after 1 p.m., Director of Athletics Vicky Chun included a memo from the Ivy League that announced the cancellation of Ancient Eight spring sports competition for the 2021 season. Despite the cancel-
lation of all league competition, the Council of Presidents noted that local spring nonconference competition could happen should the state of the pandemic “substantially improve.” The Ivy League office published an official press release a few minutes after Chun’s email to the Bulldogs’ spring athletes. “As campus and community leaders, we believe that our public health responsibilities and educational principles preclude us from sponsoring Ivy League athletSEE IVY PAGE 10
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Last November, the Ivy League announced its initial decision to postpone spring sports through at least the end of February.
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details to bidders. Local newspapers and the News reported the information before the University made a statement announcing the complex’s forthcoming construction. Prior to the construction of the center, Payne Whitney Gymnasium’s amphitheater and facilities in Bethany and Cheshire hosted indoor tennis play for Yale. The complex was built near the athletic fields, and for nine years it was Yale’s newest athletics facility until Reese Stadium opened in 1981. The location of the center makes viewership scarce, however. “Since the athletic fields are far from campus, we have a lot fewer fans than we could have, and we definitely have to keep encouraging people to come support. That’s always been a challenge for us,” Lin said. On opening day in 1972, undergraduate students paid $1.50 or $0.75 for singles and doubles to play recreationally on the courts, while faculty and staff rates were decided by prime hours and could range from $2.50 for prime-time singles to $1 for non-prime doubles. During the SEE VENUE PAGE 10
A new waiver will allow seniors an additional year of eligibility if they are accepted into a degree-granting graduate program. BY EUGENIO GARZA GARCÍA AND JAMES RICHARDSON STAFF REPORTERS On Thursday, the Ivy League confirmed with the News that graduating senior student-athletes will now be permitted to compete as graduate students at their current Ivy institutions during the 2020-21 academic year, granted that they have been accepted into a degree-granting graduate program.
IVY LEAGUE Upperclassmen athletes shared a range of emotions with the News in response to the change, yet one question appeared ubiquitous: Why was the decision announced after most graduate application deadlines had passed? According to the admissions page for Yale’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, deadlines for more than 50 programs passed in either December or January.
“I think it’s a good thing that the Ivy League is reevaluating some of their rules due to COVID-19 and they’re trying to support the student athletes,” cross country runner Will Laird ’22 said. “From talking with other athletes at Yale, I think there is some confusion and disappointment with the timing of the announcement since most deadlines for grad school have passed … But all things considered, the rule still will allow more student athletes to participate in the Ivy League which is always good.” When asked for comment on the timing of the policy change and the reasoning that led to the rule switch, Ivy League Associate Executive Director Matt Panto wrote in an email to the News that the Ancient Eight does not comment on the Council of Presidents’ discussions. One athlete who is set to benefit from the waiver is womSEE REACTIONS PAGE 10
Former Yale defenseman settles in at BC BY TRISHA NGUYEN AND AMELIA LOWER STAFF REPORTERS Jack St. Ivany, a junior defenseman from Manhattan Beach, California, recently decided to continue his ice hockey career at Boston College, leaving Yale’s team amid the restrictions on practice and competition implemented by the Ivy League.
HOCKEY The two-way defenseman joined the BC team after their sixth game of their season, picking up his first goal at the University of Connecticut on Jan. 23 with an empty-netter from his own zone and posting his first two assists against Merrimack on Jan. 16-17, according to the Eagles Hockey game notes. While he had no plans of transferring to BC prior to the Ivy League’s cancellation of winter sports, St. Ivany described the shift in his expectations and his main motivation to take the leap of joining a new team. “At Yale, in the fall, our team was very focused and determined on being ready for whatever kind of season we were given … and [we] really believed we were going to have a season,” St. Ivany said. “Once the Ivy League came out with their decision, my family and I felt it would be best for my development to find a way for me to play games this sea-
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Jack St. Ivany transferred to Boston College in January due to the cancellation of the Ivy League’s winter athletic season. son. I did not feel I was ready to play professional hockey, so we made the decision to look into transferring to another university.” The ability to participate in gameplay with the Eagles was appealing to St. Ivany, who told the News that the period of time between March 2020 and January 2021 was the longest amount of time that he had taken off from competition. St. Ivany has had a solid start with the Eagles, having played 11 games and recording a total of four points so far in his BC career. While donning the Blue and White, he played in 62 contests, earning a total of 30 points, with seven goals and 23 assists. “It was a very long 10-month offseason for me and while you can practice skills and train in the gym, there really is nothing like actually
playing a game,” St. Ivany said. “So far I have been working to improve all aspects of my game, but I have been putting a lot of time into bettering my skating abilities.” Transitioning from Yale to BC, St. Ivany described the differences in practice protocols in regard to the current health situation. BC tests and monitors the health of their athletes, in addition to using a “tracking system” to monitor its men’s ice hockey players on and off the ice for better contact tracing. St. Ivany also noticed a change in his new team’s dynamic compared to his former squad. “I have really enjoyed getting to know the team so far, they were very welcoming to me,” St. SEE HOCKEY PAGE 10
NUMBER OF GAMES FORMER YALE MEN’S HOCKEY PLAYER JACK ST. IVANY HAS PLAYED WITH BOSTON COLLEGE SINCE HE DEBUTED FOR THE EAGLES ON JAN. 8.
