TSSAA to limit fans for state basketball
The TSSAA will keep its high school girls and boys state basketball tournaments going this week and next.
However, restrictions will be put in place to limit the number of people attending the games at Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center.
The decision comes as concerns about the coronavirus continue to increase. Beginning with Friday's girls semifinals and running through next week's boys tournament, immediate family will be the only fans allowed to attend games. That includes parents, stepparents, guardians, siblings, other members living in the athlete's household and grandparents.
The boys state tournament is March 18-21.
Those allowed into Murphy Center will be identified by the participating school's principal.
Each team party will be limited to 23 people. That includes varsity players, coaches and team support personnel. School administrators will also be given entry.
"As you know this is a very fluid situation and it's changing every hour," TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress said. "Right now, we feel very comfortable with where we are.
"We've been in contact with the CDC and the department of health. We also have an infectious disease specialist that we spoke to as early as (Thursday) morning. They feel like our plan is solid right now."
Those not allowed to attend include cheerleaders, mascots and pep bands and any non-varsity players not on the 23-person team party.
Attendees are permitted to watch only the games in their classification. Members of the media who have Tssaa-issued credentials will be allowed entry.
The decision did not sit well with some fans.
"You can look at the attendance here, there are plenty of open spaces," said Christy Hicks, 64, of Trenton. "We sanitized this morning and yesterday morning all our hand rails and chair rails of our reserved seating.
"We would gladly do so again to be able to come (Friday)."
Attendees will be urged not to sit together in a crowd.
Other basketball tournaments across the country have been canceled or had similar attendance policies put in place.
And MTSU officials released a statement on Wednesday that the school's spring break will be extended through March 22 along with moving to online courses beginning March 23.
High school basketball state tournaments in Kentucky and Ohio have been shut down.
Maryville boys basketball coach Mark Eldridge said he is concerned the guidelines could change by next week.
“The good thing is the girls get to keep playing in the special event," Eldridge said. "The thing I'm concerned about as a guys coach, since we play Wednesday, is what's gonna happen in five to six days?
"We're going to prepare as if we're going to play. I think by the TSSAA coming out with this, they know the importance of this event.”
In Nashville, the SEC men's basketball tournament was canceled on Thursday. The NCAA announced later in the day that the NCAA basketball tournaments were also canceled.
"There was a tremendous consideration given from us just to call it off all together," Childress said.
Childress said he felt confident the TSSAA plan was a good one after running it by health and infectious disease officials.
A TSSAA release stated that the Tennessee Department of Health and an independent expert in infectious disease have confirmed that the limitations set are in line with current guidelines and best practices.
"I feel comfortable where we are," Childress said. "We could get some additional information that comes to us within the hour that forces us to shut it down, but right now we feel comfortable."
The Tennessee Department of Health said Thursday confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state had doubled to 18.
Childress said he is unaware why the SEC chose to shut down its tournament.
"I do know they have people coming in from everywhere," he said. "We're concentrated more than anything where our team is coming from — from Bristol to Memphis.
"To this point we haven't been told we have a community outbreak anywhere where we can't continue to play."
Over the past five years, the average overall attendance for the girls basketball semifinals and finals is 14,512 while the boys overall average attendance for all four days is 30,355.
Childress said the TSSAA is working on a set of guidelines for spring sports and that there are no restrictions on fans.
He pointed out that regular-season games are not needed to reach postseason play.
Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.