TOURNEY: The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will take place without the general public.
Coronavirus fears force NCAA to render dramatic decision
Fans planning to watch NCAA Tournament games next week in Tampa are out of luck.
The upcoming NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will take place without the general public as the organization responds to the coronavirus pandemic.
NCAA President Mark Emmert announced the sweeping decision Wednesday afternoon as several states placed restrictions on social gatherings, including sporting events, with the hope of slowing the spread of the virus officially named COVID-19.
The NCAA will only allow what it deems essential staff and limited family members of players and coaches to attend games.
“The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel. Based on their advice and my discussions with the NCAA Board of Governors, I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance,” Emmert said in a statement.
“While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sport, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”
The NCAA men’s tournament is set to tip off Tuesday with the First Four
matchups in Dayton, Ohio. First- and second-round games are slated to get underway Thursday and Friday.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued an executive order barring indoor mass gatherings, which included tournament games in Dayton and in Cleveland. The state of Washington and Washington, D.C., issued similar restrictions.
Emmert told the Associated Press the NCAA is looking into moving the Final Four out of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans and into a smaller venue in Atlanta. Sites hosting Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds could also be moved to smaller venues in the same cities.
He said the plan is to keep the first- and second-round games at their current venues.
The Ivy League canceled its basketball tournament Tuesday in response to concerns over COVID-19, declaring Yale the men’s champion and Princeton the women’s champion. On Wednesday, the league called off all spring sporting events. As of Wednesday afternoon, Yale still planned to play in the NCAA Tournament.
The College Basketball Invitational Tournament announced it was canceling its event.
The ACC, American Athletic, Big 12 and Big Ten conference tournaments are moving forward without fans. The SEC released a statement saying that Wednesday night’s men’s games would continue, but the league is evaluating plans for the remainder of the tournament.