Coronavirus has massively altered college basketball’s busiest time of year.
The NCAA banned fans from the 2020 NCAA tournament on Wednesday. But fans being barred from arenas for March Madness is just the latest update in a long line of coronavirus-related moves across the sport.
Here’s a look at some of the headlines involving coronavirus and college basketball over the past few weeks.
MARCH 12
- Conference tournaments across college basketball are set to resume with limited fans in the stands.
- Most major conference tournaments cancel their events within an hour before tips.
- The Big East tips its 12 p.m. EST quarterfinal between St. John’s and Creighton. The empty-arena contest is played until halftime. Then the Big East opts to cancel their conference tournament like the rest of the major conferences.
- The NCAA eventually cancels the 2020 men’s and women’s NCAA tournament.
- The CAA announced that a game official who worked the men’s conference tournament has tested positive for coronavirus.
MARCH 11
- The NCAA made the decision to ban fans from the 2020 NCAA tournament.
- The Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 banned fans from attending their conference tournaments beginning with Thursday’s games.
- The rest of the power conferences (and many others) also limit fans from its conference tournament starting with Thursday’s games.
- The 2020 CBI is cancelled.
- Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg exits Big Ten tournament game after feeling ill all day.
- WAC women’s tournament quarterfinal between Bakersfield and Grand Canyon postponed by league due to medical situation.
MARCH 10
- The Ivy League cancelled its conference tournament.
RELATED: Bubble Watch | Bracketology | Automatic Bids
MARCH 6
- The NCAA released a statement about COVID-19. Games and events continued as scheduled. A COVID-19 Advisory Panel sanctioned by the NCAA “is not recommending cancellation or public spacing of athletic and related events scheduled to occur in public spaces across the United States.”
MARCH 3
- The National College Players Association urged the NCAA to take steps to protect student-athletes, suggesting that empty arenas for the 2020 NCAA tournament is a proper solution.
- Chicago State opted not to play WAC road games at Seattle and Utah Valley State due to coronavirus.