It seems that not only will Indianapolis host the Final Four, but likely the entire 68-team field.
According to IndyStar and a release from the NCAA, the NCAA began discussion to play the entire NCAA tournament in Indianapolis on Monday. The decision stemmed from the success of the NBA and WNBA bubbles along with the presumed difficulty of executing the national tournament at 13 sites.
This development follows Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s decision to institute another lockdown, closing schools, indoor dining and high school sports, effective Wednesday, Nov. 18. Professional and some college sports, including football, hockey and men's and women's basketball at MSU, will continue.
Head basketball coach Tom Izzo has expressed how difficult it has been to provide a sense of normalcy and routine for players as he advises caution with regard to COVID-19 while recognizing the necessity for social interaction and activity.
“(M)y biggest worry is they're laying in an apartment, just laying there and getting up in the morning, pushing on their computer, trying to take a class,” Izzo said in a recent call with the media. “If you were sitting there and you remember back to your college days, if you're sitting in a dorm room or a small apartment and you can't never move, that's not a good thing … that's not healthy. So we're trying to get them out a little bit more.”
Indianapolis is a regular host of neutral-site events, as MSU fell to eventual champion Duke at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2015, the last time it hosted the Final Four.
So, what does this mean for MSU and college basketball?
After a staggered start among power five conferences, college football has confronted difficulty in scheduling as COVID-19 cases arise within teams. Confining the 68-team tournament to one site will ideally reduce the potential of exposure among its participants and avoid these issues.
College basketball will seemingly have more wiggle room in terms of scheduling over a 30-game season, as games missed because of COVID-19 will be less impactful than those in an 8-to-10 game college football schedule. For MSU, should it continue its streak of 22 straight tournament appearances, will play at a familiar venue in Big Ten country.
The Spartans’ schedule finally seems to be taking shape; according to reports Eastern Michigan is slated to travel to East Lansing on Nov. 25 as MSU’s first non-conference opponent. However, MSU has yet to release an official schedule on their own website.
Around the Big Ten, Illinois earned 16 first-place votes as the favorite to win the Big Ten regular season. The full result is as follows:
1. Illinois
2. Iowa
3. Wisconsin
4. Michigan State
5. Rutgers
6. Michigan
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7. Ohio State
8. Indiana
9. Purdue
10. Maryland
11. Minnesota
12. Penn State
13. Nebraska
14. Northwestern
