By Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
NCAA March Madness sends most sports fans into a fever this time of year, but the scare of the coronavirus has added to the madness this year. The NCAA basketball tournament will be played in front of mostly empty seats with only a few persons allowed into arenas.
Closer to home, Big South Conference Commissioner Kyle Kallander has announced that the women’s tournament at Radford University’s Dedmon Center has been cancelled.
“Given concerns related to the spread of the COVID-19 virus and the rapidly escalating developments nationally, the Big South Conference Executive Committee has made the difficult decision to cancel the remaining rounds of the Hercules Tires Big South Conference Women’s Basketball Championship,” Kallander said in a prepared statement. “While we were hoping to protect these important opportunities for our women’s basketball student-athletes, we feel this is the prudent course at this time. Conference leadership is currently discussing the status of spring sports seasons and will provide updates as they become available,” said Kallander.
Per conference policy, No. 1 seed Campbell is awarded the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
In a statement late Wednesday from the NCAA, the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel said it recognizes the fluidity of COVID-19 and its impact on hosting events in a public space.
A statement released from Stacy Osborn, the director of communications for the NCAA, said. “COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the United States, and behavioral risk mitigation strategies are the best option for slowing the spread of this disease. This is especially important because mildly symptomatic individuals can transmit COVID-19.
“Given these considerations, coupled with a more unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 in older adults – especially those with underlying chronic medical conditions – 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 the players, employees, and fans.”
According to NCAA Executive Director Mark Emmett, only essential staff and limited family will be allowed to attend.
“The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel,” Emmett said. “Based on their advice and my discussions with the NCAA Board of Governors, I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance.
“While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes,” Emmett said.
