NCAA tournament will be played without fans over coronavirus concerns
The NCAA has decided to hold the men’s and women’s basketball championships without fans because of concerns over the coronavirus.
The NCAA tournament will officially be played in front of empty arenas.
As member universities across the nation considered how to proceed, canceling in-person classes and on-campus events en masse because of the coronavirus, the NCAA announced the monumental decision on Wednesday to keep fans out of its annual signature event for men's and women's basketball.
The announcement came just as major conference tournaments kicked off at arenas across the nation, including in Las Vegas, where the USC and UCLA men's teams open Pac-12 tournament play on Thursday.
“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 said in a statement. “This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans, and most importantly our student athletes.”
Tournament sites will be limited to “only essential staff and limited family,” the NCAA said in a release. It did not define who, in particular, would be considered essential.
USC and UCLA both announced plans a day earlier to bar fans from athletic events. Before Emmert’s announcement, officials in several states scheduled to hold NCAA tournament events had announced similar plans to limit large crowds at events.
“That would be terrible. Terrible,” USC senior guard Jonah Mathews said. “That would kill the whole vibe of the game for sure.”
With the threat of coronavirus ongoing and the pressure mounting on entities throughout collegiate athletics to act proactively, the NCAA made the unprecedented decision on Wednesday to proceed without fans.
"We recognize the opportunity to compete in an NCAA national championship is an experience of a lifetime for the students and their families," Emmert said. "Today we will move forward and conduct championships consistent with the current information."
Even without the seats filled, the NCAA tournament will, for the time being, proceed as planned. But Emmert noted in his statement that the NCAA would “continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed.”
The NCAA has decided to hold the men’s and women’s basketball championships without fans because of concerns over the coronavirus.
The NCAA tournament will officially be played in front of empty arenas.
As member universities across the nation considered how to proceed, canceling in-person classes and on-campus events en masse because of the coronavirus, the NCAA announced the monumental decision on Wednesday to keep fans out of its annual signature event for men's and women's basketball.
The announcement came just as major conference tournaments kicked off at arenas across the nation, including in Las Vegas, where the USC and UCLA men's teams open Pac-12 tournament play on Thursday.
“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 said in a statement. “This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans, and most importantly our student athletes.”
Tournament sites will be limited to “only essential staff and limited family,” the NCAA said in a release. It did not define who, in particular, would be considered essential.
USC and UCLA both announced plans a day earlier to bar fans from athletic events. Before Emmert’s announcement, officials in several states scheduled to hold NCAA tournament events had announced similar plans to limit large crowds at events.
“That would be terrible. Terrible,” USC senior guard Jonah Mathews said. “That would kill the whole vibe of the game for sure.”
With the threat of coronavirus ongoing and the pressure mounting on entities throughout collegiate athletics to act proactively, the NCAA made the unprecedented decision on Wednesday to proceed without fans.
"We recognize the opportunity to compete in an NCAA national championship is an experience of a lifetime for the students and their families," Emmert said. "Today we will move forward and conduct championships consistent with the current information."
Even without the seats filled, the NCAA tournament will, for the time being, proceed as planned. But Emmert noted in his statement that the NCAA would “continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed.”
