Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
If you were looking forward to the yearly celebration of college basketball, that is March Madness, we have some sad news.
As many expected, the NCAA announced that it will be canceling both men’s and women’s basketball tournaments due to concerns about the spread of covid-19, aka the coronavirus. In a statement released on Thursday (Mar.12), the NCAA announced:
“This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to the spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.”
All-day, fans wondered if and when the NCAA would pull the plug on March Madness. One-by-one we saw the cancellation of 15 college basketball tournaments with announcements from the ACC, Big Ten, and other leagues announcing the suspension of play.
The decision finally came after perennial powerhouses, Duke and Kansas announced they would be pulling out of March Madness and people like Charles Barkley advocating for the tournament to be canceled.
The NCAA initially announced on Wednesday (Mar.11) that it planned to go on, but the arenas would be empty before finally pulling the plug. The men’s basketball tournament has been played every year since 1939. It has grown to be a billion-dollar revenue-generating event for the NCAA and its hundreds of member universities and colleges. Basketball wasn’t the only sport affected either. Here are the collegiate athletics that were a victim of covid-19
Baseball
Beach volleyball
Bowling
Fencing
Golf (men’s and women’s)
Gymnastics (men’s and women’s)
Ice hockey (men’s and women’s)
Lacrosse (men’s and women’s)
Men’s volleyball
Outdoor track and field
Rowing
Softball
Swimming and diving (men’s and women’s)
Tennis (men’s and women’s)
Women’s water polo
Wrestling
The NCAA joins the NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS, who have decided to suspend play due to fear of spreading the coronavirus.
If you want to learn more about the spread of the coronavirus and how it’s being dealt with around the world, you can either check out the World Health Organization or CDC for all facts and up-to-date information on the virus.
Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty
The Right Move: NCAA Cancels March Madness Tournament Admid Coronavirus Concerns was originally published on cassiuslife.com
