2020 NCAA Basketball Tournament Games To Be Played Without Fans Due To Coronavirus
Back in 2018, I was lucky enough to attend the Final Four in San Antonio, and it was an incredible experience. Nothing could have prepared me for the fans and how passionate (and loud) they were, it’s really something else.
Sadly, this year’s March Madness will be a decidedly quieter experience, as the NCAA just announced that 2020 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be closed to fans out of concern over the coronavirus:
“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,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. “While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States.”
NCAA President Mark Emmert statement on limiting attendance at NCAA events: https://t.co/GrPbmZx5N6 pic.twitter.com/PFFh9htixR
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) March 11, 2020
The decision was made in conjunction and with advisement from the CDC, and with the NCAA’s recently-formed advisory panel which consists of experts in the public health, epidemiology and medical fields.
Only essential staff and limited family will be allowed to attend. For fans who already purchased tickets, the NCAA announced refunds will be given.
There’s also been talk about moving the Final Four out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium into a smaller venue in Atlanta, and regional sites could also be moved from their scheduled arenas to smaller venues in same cities.
Given that no fans will be attending, this makes sense. But it also begs the question if the NCAA should just postpone March Madness altogether until the Coronavirus pandemic has passed. What do you think??
EDIT: And a day later, the NCAA went one step further, outright cancelling the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Sucks for the players for sure.
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