By Blair Kerkhoff
The Kansas City Star
In an extraordinary response to the COVID-19 coronavirus, the doors are closed to fans for the NCAA Tournament, organization president Mark Emmert announced Wednesday.
“The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel. Based on their advice and my discussions with the NCAA Board of Governors, I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championships, including the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance,” Emmert said.
It’s the first time in the tournament’s history games will be played without spectators, and the largest sporting event in the United States to be be impacted by the virus.
Minutes before Emmert’s announcement, the NCAA released a statement that said ” … we recommend against sporting events open to the public. We do believe sport events can take place with only essential personnel and limited family attendance, and this protects our players, employees, and fans.”
There was no immediate response from the Big 12 Conference, which is conducting its men’s tournament at Sprint Center starting Wednesday and women’s tournament at Municipal Auditorium, starting Thursday.
Baylor Bears coach Scott Drew said the absence of spectators will be felt during the NCAA Tournament games.
“If you’re blessed to play in March Madness a lot of that experience obviously is the fans, hoopla and excitement going into the games,” Drew said. “I feel bad that some people won’t have an opportunity to experience that, knowing just how special that experience is.”
The 68-team men’s tournament begins next Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. The men’s Final Four is set for Atlanta on April 4 and 6.
Men’s first- and second-round sites are Omaha, Nebraska; St. Louis, Albany, New York; Spokane; Tampa, Florida; Cleveland; and Greensboro, North Carolina.
The regional final sites are in New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Indianapolis.
First- and second-round sites for the women’s tournament are played at campus sites with the regionals set for Dallas; Greenville South Carolina; Fort Wayne, Indiana and Portland with the Final Four at New Orleans on April 3, 5.
