The NCAA bans fans at all March Madness college basketball games
The NCAA will bar fans from attending the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to President Mark Emmert.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Emmert said “only essential staff and limited family” will be allowed at their “upcoming championship events.” Although the president acknowledged fans’ disappointment, he affirmed this move will protect the country at-large.
“This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes,” Emmert explained.
Discussions with public health officials, the NCAA’s COVID-19 advisory panel and their Board of Governors ultimately led to Emmert’s ruling. The move comes less than a hour after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tweeted his plans to issue an order that will ban spectators from NCAA tournament games in Cleveland and Dayton.
As of Wednesday evening, more than 1,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the United States while at least 37 have died, according to the New York Times.
March Madness, which kicks off March 15 with Selection Sunday, consists of 126 men’s and women’s games played across the country. Ralph Russo of the Associated Press reported the NCAA might now be looking to move the men’s Final Four from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to a “smaller venue in Atlanta.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 4:49 PM.
