The NCAA has announced that basketball tournament games will be played in mostly empty arenas.
NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a Wednesday statement that the decision was made after consult with public health officials, ESPN reports. “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.” Emmert cited “current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States.” According to the current CDC report, as of yesterday at 4 p.m., there have been 167 confirmed and 771 presumptive cases of COVID-19 in the United States. 29 people have died. The new numbers are released each weekday at noon.
First round games are schedule for Friday, March 20th and Sunday March 22nd at the CHI Health Center in Omaha.
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