Division II Urbana University in Ohio has announced that they will close their doors after the COVID pandemic added "a level of stress and uncertainty" that make it impossible to sustain, the school shared in a statement.
At the end of the 2020 spring semester, the school will discontinue enrollment and physical operations, the school's website points out.
A total of 111 full-time Urbana employees will be affected by the closure, while some of them will be able to work at Franklin University (who purchased Urbana back in 2014 in an attempt to stabilize the campus). Academic programs will be moved to the Franklin University campus and athletic offerings and on-campus Urbana administrative roles will cease.
Among those full-time employees affected are the football staff, led by head coach Tyler Haines - a friend and former college teammate of mine. The closing of the school, and the timing of it put coach Haines and his staff in a very difficult situation.
Haines was heading into his fifth season leading the program and was heading into the 2020 season needing just one win to become the second-winningest head coach in the history of the program. The program had built up a ton of momentum with a solid recruiting class and were coming off the best year under Haines and his staff after a 7-4 season in 2019.
While it is not mentioned in their release, Urbana players will also now be looking for a new home to continue their studies, and many will look for new places to continue their playing careers as well.
See coach Haines' full staff and their contact information in the chart below.
See the full release from Urbana on their closing here.