The NCAA has announced that both men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments will be closed to all except essential staff and families due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
BREAKING: NCAA tournament, Big Ten tournament will not have spectators
March 11, 2020
The Michigan State basketball team comes out onto the floor after a timeout during a game against Iowa. The Spartans defeated the Hawkeyes, 78-70, at the Breslin Student Events Center on February 25, 2020. —
Photo by Matt Zubik |
The State News
In a statement made by NCAA President Mark Emmert, he said he understood the disappointment, but had no choice but to act. Emmert said he will be monitoring the situation, and make adjustments as needed.
Later Wednesday, the Big Ten announced that it's men's basketball tournament would not have spectators beginning with Thursday's second round. The MSU team is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will tip off Friday night at 7 p.m. against the winner of seventh-seeded Ohio State and tenth-seeded Purdue.
In addition, the Big Ten has banned spectators from all sporting events for the rest of the semester. Teams such as baseball, softball and track will no longer allow fans when their seasons begin.
The NCAA is following other sports franchises such as the Golden State Warriors and the Seattle Mariners who will both be playing without spectators until further notice.
Stay tuned with The State News for updates on COVID-19.
Michigan State's men's basketball team is projected by ESPN's Joe Lunardi to earn a 3-seed in the tournament, while MSU's women's team is not expected to receive an invite.
READ MORE
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
