March Madness To Be Held Without Fans As Coronavirus Spreads

Yet another consequence of the spread of coronavirus, the NCAA announced on Wednesday that the men's and women's Division I basketball tournaments will be played with limited staff and family presence.

This means that the vast majority of fans looking to attend games will be out of luck.

Take a look at the full statement from NCAA President Mark Evert:

The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel. 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. We recognize the opportunity to compete in an NCAA national championship is an experience of a lifetime for the students and their families. Today, we will move forward and conduct championships consistent with the current information and will continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed.

This is sure to be a big blow to those who had tickets to the games.

Many conferences have already made the decision to play the conference tournaments without fans and the Ivy League decided to forego the conference tournament altogether.