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NCAA Prepares for Coronavirus

Dick Weiss on College Basketball
PHILADELPHIA– The potential of the coronavirus turning into a global pandemic has NCAA officials scrambling to prepare for any eventuality during March Madness—including games in arenas without fans.

“If you can think of it, it’s something that we’ve gone through an analysis around,’’ NCAA chief operating officer Donald Remy told Bloomberg. “We’ve contingency planned for all circumstances.’’

The NCAA tournament, which starts in two weeks, will be the biggest sporting event since coronavirus was declared to be a public health emergency in late January. A total of 14 arenas will host games, concluding the men’s championship game April 6 in Atlanta.

The women’s tournament, which begins March 20, will be held at campus sites for the first two rounds, before four cities host regionals and New Orleans hosts the Final Four and championship games April 3 and 5.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of these student athletes,’’ Remy said. “As we’re thinking about these circumstances, we’re thinking about how to preserve that once in a lifetime opportunity, and at the same time how to make sure that any decision we make is grounded in medical science.’’
The NCAA has put together a medical advisory group in dealing with the threat of the virus, and also is speaking daily to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No firm deadline has been set for any final decision.

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Dick Weiss is a sportswriter and columnist who has covered college football and college and professional basketball for the Philadelphia Daily News and the New York Daily News. He has received the Curt Gowdy Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and is a member of the national Sportswriters Hall of Fame. He has also co-written several books with Rick Pitino, John Calipari, Dick Vitale and authored a tribute book on Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

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