The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association officially announced on Friday that it is canceling all spring sports and spring tournaments for member high schools in the state.

The decision comes after Gov. Charlie Baker's announcement on Tuesday that Mass. schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A statement posted online from the MIAA described the decision from the board of directors as "difficult, disappointing, and one that was deferred for several weeks" as officials tried to find a way to get some sort of spring season for student-athletes across the state.

In his opening statement at Friday's board meeting, MIAA Board of Directors President Jeffrey Granatino admitted that there could not be a spring season if there was no traditional school.

"We are not returning to our buildings, though remote learning will continue to thrive over the next seven to eight weeks," he said. "Without traditional school in place and without being able to come together in any large group setting, there is no way for districts to allow for clubs, extracurricular activities, and in our case, interscholastic athletics to take place."

Granatino said that the while the governor's decision to keep schools closed was based on health concerns and was the right one to make, it "still is a tough pill to swallow for thousands of student-athletes across the state who have already lost so much of their school year due to this pandemic."

The Rhode Island Interscholastic League also announced the cancellation of all spring sports Friday, and the Cape Cod Baseball League canceled its 2020 season.