UPDATE: March Madness Canceled; NCAA Calls Off National Tournament
March Madness is officially over, even before it really got started. The NCAA canceled all men's and women's basketball tournament games because of the spread of coronavirus. The unprecedented move brings an abrupt end to the college basketball season. The decision comes a day after the NCAA announced that the games that were scheduled to start next week would still go on but would be played in mostly empty arenas. That plan was scrapped as every major American sports league - from the NBA to MLB - put the brakes on its season due to concerns about the pandemic. The NCAA also canceled all of its spring championships for every sport. That includes baseball, hockey and lacrosse.
Earlier reporting...
Big 12 Basketball Tournament Canceled; Other Conferences Make Same Call
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR / LJW / AP) -- The Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City has been canceled due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus. Conference officials made the announcement this (THUR) morning. With the start of Texas and Texas Tech's quarterfinal game just minutes away, the decision was announced that the Big 12 men’s and women’s conference tournaments are canceled. The Big 12 joins the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Pac-12 in canceling its conference basketball tournaments. It remains unclear what this means for the NCAA Tournament’s future. The NCAA announced yesterday (WED) that it would continue with the March Madness tournament but without fans in attendance. (The NCAA would make a limited number of tickets available to each team.) The NBA and MLS have already made the decision to suspend their entire seasons.
- Statement from KU Director of Athletics Jeff Long: “Our highest priority at Kansas Athletics is to ensure the safety and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff. Based on the recommendation of our medical professionals, we have canceled all athletic travel indefinitely. In addition, all home and away athletics events have been suspended indefinitely. We will continue to monitor the situation and determine the next appropriate steps based on advice from our medical team.”
- Statement from KU men’s basketball head coach Bill Self: “While we are disappointed for the players, it was the right and necessary thing to do. As I said yesterday, this is bigger than a sport or championship. I know our medical staff and the NCAA will research all avenues to determine the appropriate steps moving forward.”
- Statement from KU women’s basketball head coach Brandon Schneider: “Our players were excited about the opportunity to compete in the Big 12 Tournament. However, in light of all the information that has become available in the past 24 hours, we understand cancelation was the appropriate response. The health and safety of our players will always be priority number one.”
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that, within minutes of each other, the Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Pac-12 — the five most high-profile conferences in college sports — announced that the remainder of their tournaments would not be played. With all Power Five conferences calling off their tournaments, that puts the future of this year's NCAA Tournament in doubt. The NCAA had been preparing to play games in large arenas across the country, but with only a few fans allowed in the buildings. “We have obviously canceled the tournament,” Big 12 Conference Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said during a late-morning press conference at the Bg 12 tournament in Kansas City. “And we did it in consultation with a wide array of folks whose opinions we respect and who we wanted to coordinate with.”