2020 NCAA Tournament

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Brunswick, Maine Sectional to be held without fans at Bowdoin.

https://athletics.bowdoin.edu/general/2019-20/releases/20200310n2unu0

Still nothing official from Tufts.

I'm pretty sure we've been informed Tufts is also going sans spectators.  I believe that word came in before Bowdoin.  Maybe it hasn't been announced publicly yet?

[gordonmann]

Right. My mistake. Sorry.

[PauldingLightUP]

I do trust you all and Dave's reporting that fans will not be allowed. Just interesting that they haven't made a formal, public announcement yet.

[Ralph Turner]

Middlebury canceling their spring sports surprises me, as I don't recall reading about any reported cases in Vermont. Crazy.

Maybe not yet. 

The first patient is an employee at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the hospital has announced. It is not aware of any patients being exposed in clinical areas and has identified any staff who might have been exposed.

State health officials said that the first coronavirus patient "attended an invitation-only private event on Friday" despite being told to stay isolated. That person has now been ordered to remain isolated and all others who came into "close contact" with them at the event were asked to stay isolated for 14 days.

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/national-international/2nd-presumed-case-coronavirus-new-hampshire/2085211/

[PauldingLightUP]

Messiah does confirm no fans at Tufts in a release earlier tonight.

https://gomessiah.com/news/2020/3/10/tufts-bans-all-fans-from-this-weekends-womens-basketball-games.aspx

[GoPerry]

I think it is very odd that there is no public statement from the NCAA on these decisions.  They have obviously stepped back and let the schools make the decisions (and shoulder the blame). 

On the other hand, how can they sanction what's going on at the D3 level and still allow DI March Madness to proceed with games open to the public?  It's putting them in a very odd predicament of conflicting narratives - safety vs $$$.

Last, closing games to the public has only happened with A. NESCAC hosts in the northeast and B. only the women's side.  Not a peep or inkling (yet) from any of the men hosts about closing to public on Fri/Sat.  True, it's only one game but the supposed risk is there nonetheless . . .

[sac]

The State of Ohio made a series of virus related decisions today affecting their States colleges and universities and included limiting attendance to their OHSAA basketball playoffs.  I am guessing the women's final four next weekend at Capital could also see similar restrictions.

[saratoga]

The NCAA owes many people, especially the kids playing, an explanation as to how they could even award these next games to Amherst after the stunt they pulled by closing the doors to family, friends & the general public less than an hour before the first game was scheduled to tipoff on Friday.

That move alone should have had them out of any consideration for hosting this week.

Instead.....crickets.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The NCAA owes many people, especially the kids playing, an explanation as to how they could even award these next games to Amherst after the stunt they pulled by closing the doors to family, friends & the general public less than an hour before the first game was scheduled to tipoff on Friday.

That move alone should have had them out of any consideration for hosting this week.

Instead.....crickets.

As I have learned in the last week or so, when it comes to school hosting situations the NCAA defers to decisions made by the institutions for the safety, well being, and such on their own campuses. The NCAA doesn't force schools to do anything against that and thus isn't going to say anything.

[Pat Coleman]

The NCAA owes many people, especially the kids playing, an explanation as to how they could even award these next games to Amherst after the stunt they pulled by closing the doors to family, friends & the general public less than an hour before the first game was scheduled to tipoff on Friday.

That move alone should have had them out of any consideration for hosting this week.

Instead.....crickets.

Unfortunately, the NCAA does not consider the fans to be one of their constituencies at the Division III level and decisions are rarely made with the fans in mind.

[GoPerry]

The NCAA owes many people, especially the kids playing, an explanation as to how they could even award these next games to Amherst after the stunt they pulled by closing the doors to family, friends & the general public less than an hour before the first game was scheduled to tipoff on Friday.

That move alone should have had them out of any consideration for hosting this week.

Instead.....crickets.

As I have learned in the last week or so, when it comes to school hosting situations the NCAA defers to decisions made by the institutions for the safety, well being, and such on their own campuses. The NCAA doesn't force schools to do anything against that and thus isn't going to say anything.

Ok Dave.  But this is way different than whether to have an ambulance on standby or cordoning off areas of the bleachers for certain school fans.  For them to award hosting sites and then wash their hands of any further decision making is ludicrous at best and cowardly at worst in the present circumstances.

I think they are reluctant to say anything because supporting the action of Amherst, Tufts and Bowdoin begs the next question which is: Well NCAA, if you think this was a good idea for the few hundred people in Amherst, MA, then it's obviously an even better idea to prohibit 20,000 from attending the East regional at MSG or the West Regional at Staples Center or the FF in Atlanta?

[GoPerry]

The NCAA owes many people, especially the kids playing, an explanation as to how they could even award these next games to Amherst after the stunt they pulled by closing the doors to family, friends & the general public less than an hour before the first game was scheduled to tipoff on Friday.

That move alone should have had them out of any consideration for hosting this week.

Instead.....crickets.

Unfortunately, the NCAA does not consider the fans to be one of their constituencies at the Division III level and decisions are rarely made with the fans in mind.

Yes, this is plainly obvious.  But isn't this where the national committee could be helpful?  Or does the NCAA no longer take Karin Harvey's calls once they've chosen the site on Sunday?  I know this is all new territory but c'mon.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The NCAA owes many people, especially the kids playing, an explanation as to how they could even award these next games to Amherst after the stunt they pulled by closing the doors to family, friends & the general public less than an hour before the first game was scheduled to tipoff on Friday.

That move alone should have had them out of any consideration for hosting this week.

Instead.....crickets.

As I have learned in the last week or so, when it comes to school hosting situations the NCAA defers to decisions made by the institutions for the safety, well being, and such on their own campuses. The NCAA doesn't force schools to do anything against that and thus isn't going to say anything.

Ok Dave.  But this is way different than whether to have an ambulance on standby or cordoning off areas of the bleachers for certain school fans.  For them to award hosting sites and then wash their hands of any further decision making is ludicrous at best and cowardly at worst in the present circumstances.

I think they are reluctant to say anything because supporting the action of Amherst, Tufts and Bowdoin begs the next question which is: Well NCAA, if you think this was a good idea for the few hundred people in Amherst, MA, then it's obviously an even better idea to prohibit 20,000 from attending the East regional at MSG or the West Regional at Staples Center or the FF in Atlanta?

Confusing two different beasts: Division III tournament that in the grand scheme of things doesn't bring in any money; DI tournament that is responsible for 80-90% of the entire NCAA budget.

I spent a lot of time in the last 24 hours (or more) trying to understand things better. We may not like it, but it is what we have.

I do think the NCAA will have a statement (at least I was under the impression there may be one coming), but I also know that the last 24 hours - several days - have been a whirlwind for everyone.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Yes, this is plainly obvious.  But isn't this where the national committee could be helpful?  Or does the NCAA no longer take Karin Harvey's calls once they've chosen the site on Sunday?  I know this is all new territory but c'mon.

From what I have put together ... this has gotten far more complicated. There are a LOT of different elements and people involved in this.

[Pat Coleman]

At first I thought Dave said there were a lot of different elephants involved ... and I was nodding my head.