NCAA Tournament: Closed To General Public Over Coronavirus Concerns

Author Andrea Swindall - Pop Culture Writer

March 11th, 2020 5:26 PM

Coronavirus continues to impact the social landscape, with perhaps one of the biggest dominoes falling today. The NCAA has released an official statement saying that they will only allow limited attendance for the upcoming NCAA tournament.

“The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our NCAA 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.”

On the NCAA website, they also advise against attending sporting events in general. “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.”

NC State head coach Kevin Keatts spoke on the matter, after his Wolfpack defeated Pitt 73-58 in ACC Tournament play Wednesday.

“It’s a serious problem. It’s not an athletic problem.” Keatts said. “It’s a problem all across the country. I don’t think anybody here or in the sports world should complain about the people that know what’s going on.”

The unprecedented move comes as Selection Sunday is set for this Sunday, March 15, and the First Four games set for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17 and 18.

The ACC is still planning to hold tonight’s conference tournament games, as scheduled, but there could be far-reaching impacts across Tobacco Road.

In the men’s tournament, first and second round games are scheduled to be played in Greensboro on March 20 and 22, with the Final Four set for April 4 and 6 in Atlanta. On the women’s side, the first and second round games are all played at various campus sites, which could include several ACC schools. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight round includes games in Greenville, SC on March 27 and 29. The Final Four is scheduled for April 3 and 5 in New Orleans.

The Associated Press is reporting that the NCAA is trying to move the Final Four out of the 71,000-seat Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, possibly into a smaller venue in the city.

LIST: Concert Tours and Other Events Postponed Due to Coronavirus

• Coachella

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  The popular festival pushed back their dates from April to October. In a statement, organizers said, "While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials."

• Stagecoach

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  The country festival pushed back their dates from March to October. In a statement, organizers said, "While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials."

• Pearl Jam

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  Pearl Jam announced on March 9 that their upcoming tour in support of their new album 'Gigaton' would be postponed. In a statement, the band said, "We’ve worked hard with all our management and business associates to find other solutions or options but the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level. Add to that we also have a unique group of passionate fans who travel far and wide. We’ve always been humbled by this and respect their energies and devotion. However in this case, travel is something to avoid."
• Zac Brown Band

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  Zac Brown Band postponed their spring tour on March 10 and said in a statement, "Out of caution and due to increasing public health concerns, Zac Brown Band is postponing the spring 2020 leg of 'The Owl Tour.' This was an extremely difficult decision, but the well-being of our fans is always our top priority. Rescheduled dates for all spring shows (through Nashville on April 25) will be announced soon. We ask that our fans retain their tickets as they will be honored on the new dates. At this time, our 'Roar With The Lions' Summer 2020 tour dates (commencing in May) will be performed as planned. Thank you for your understanding."

• ‘The Wendy Williams Show’ Filming Without Live Crowd

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  'The Wendy Williams Show' issued the following statement on March 10: "Wendy values her co-hosts and their daily participation, but in the light of the current health climate, 'The Wendy Williams Show' will not have a live studio audience until further notice. We will continue to produce a daily live talk show & look forward to welcoming the studio audience back when the time is right."

• ‘Jeopardy!’, ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Filming Without Live Crowd

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  The decision to film both of the long-running game shows sans audience came down on March 9. TMZ first reported the news, and the three reasons for the decision include the following: Alex Trebek has a compromised immune system due to his stage 4 pancreatic cancer treatment; The average audience member for both of these shows is in their 60s, and that age group and older have been deemed vulnerable to the coronavirus; and many of the studio audience members are people from out of town and potentially from areas with widespread coronavirus outbreak.
• Green Day

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  Green Day announced on February 28, "We have unfortunately made the difficult decision to postpone our upcoming shows in Asia due to the health + travel concerns with coronavirus. We know it sucks, as we were looking forward to seeing you all, but hold on to your tickets we’ll be announcing the new dates very soon."

• SXSW

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  The City of Austin, TX officially canceled SXSW on March 6 marking the first time in 34 years the event was canceled.

• KISS Cancels Meet-And-Greets

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  KISS manager Doc McGhee released the following statement on March 9: "Our Meet and Greets have always offered us and you, our fans, a unique opportunity to literally stand shoulder to shoulder together. After many discussions with experts in the field, we have been advised to temporarily cancel these events given the reality that we do this nightly for a hundred or more fans. Shows will continue as scheduled and we look forward to resuming our time with you backstage."
• Bret Michaels’ appearance on The ’80s Cruise

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  Michaels pulled out of his appearance on The '80s Cruise that runs from March 8-15. A statement from Michaels' camp said, "As of Sunday, March 8, 2020 it has been advised by the Centers for Disease Control that cruise ship travel be deferred for those with compromised immune systems.  Bret Michaels, a life long type1 Diabetic, falls under the category of those that run the extreme high risk of contracting this illness.  Even if this illness is not contracted by Bret, he runs the risk of being quarantined on the ship with fellow music fans that might fall ill.  Once again, being a Type 1 Diabetic, this would pose a problem of having enough insulin and supplies on hand for his survival for an undetermined amount of time."

• ‘No Time To Die’

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  The release of the latest James Bond film has been pushed back to November due to the coronavirus. Before the release push back, a number of publicity tours, including ones in China, South Korea and Japan, were canceled once to coronavirus began to spread in that region.

• Slipknot

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  Slipknot announced on March 5, "In light of global health concerns, Slipknot have decided to postpone their upcoming Asian tour, including Knotfest Japan. While decisions like this are not easy, the safety and well-being of the band's fans always comes first. Furthermore in this case, the bands and artists, crew and local employees are also equally effected, and as such, this was the only responsible decision that could be made. Slipknot and Knotfest will both return to Asia very soon. And at such time that everyone can be ensured of the best experience possible."
• Queen + Adam Lambert Postpone May 26th Paris Show

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  On March 6, Queen + Adam Lambert said in a statement, "Unfortunately, our show in Paris has had to be postponed following a government decree in France to cancel all indoor events over 5000 capacity in France until 31st May in an effort to contain the spread of Coronavirus."

• Whitesnake

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  Whitesnake announced on March 5 via their social media channels, "We regret to announce that Whitesnake's Japan Tour which had been scheduled for March has been unavoidably postponed due to the ongoing threat of the Coronavirus. Currently, we are working on rescheduling the dates. Your purchased tickets for the original dates will be valid for the rescheduled dates. Please ensure you keep your tickets safe. For those customers who wish to receive a refund, we will announce details of the refund process once we announce the rescheduled dates. We deeply apologize to all parties concerned especially those customers who bought tickets and have been looking forward to the Whitesnake shows.

• Avril Lavigne

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  Avril Lavigne postponed her upcoming tour of Asia on February 29 telling fans in a statement, "I am so sad to announce that we are unable to tour the Asian markets due to the continuous outbreak of the coronavirus. My band, crew and I have been working so hard to bring this tour worldwide and are completely bummed out. Please everybody take care of yourselves and stay healthy. You're in my thoughts and prayers and we are hoping to announce rescheduled shows soon."
• Lacuna Coil

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  The Italian metal band said in a statement on March 2, "We regret to inform our beloved fans of South East Asia that due to circumstances beyond our control we must cancel our upcoming shows in Dubai, Bangkok, Melbourne, Sydney, Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore and Jakarta. Our home region of Lombardia, Italy, is in the midst of a Coronavirus outbreak. While cancelling is heartbreaking for us, everyone’s health and safety must come first and this includes our fans. We're confident this emergency will soon be contained and we can get back on the road to you. Thank you for your understanding and stay safe. Ticket refunds are available for headline shows at points of purchase."

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Author Andrea Swindall - Pop Culture Writer

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NCAA Tournament