2020 NCAA Tournament

[VT-Alum-NOVA]

With many universities sending students home for online classes, NCAA should consider canceling D3 tournament play.  Student/players are concerned about traveling to a more infectious area to play games when their peers are going home soon.  Couple this with many of the same universities canceling rest of spring sports, they all are questioning why they are being sent to MA to play.  This sends very conflicting message that sports trumps their safety.  It is unfair to expect an 18 or 19 year old to say no to her coach in playing sweet 16 due to safety concerns that may be founded or not.
FYI. Many of them are slated to fly out today.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

With many universities sending students home for online classes, NCAA should consider canceling D3 tournament play.  Student/players are concerned about traveling to a more infectious area to play games when their peers are going home soon.  Couple this with many of the same universities canceling rest of spring sports, they all are questioning why they are being sent to MA to play.  This sends very conflicting message that sports trumps their safety.  It is unfair to expect an 18 or 19 year old to say no to her coach in playing sweet 16 due to safety concerns that may be founded or not.
FYI. Many of them are slated to fly out today.

I don't believe any of the host campuses have reported infections.  They're all preemptively closing down.

[Roundball999]

I strongly resist this line of thinking.  This would further promote misinformation and panic.  The facts are that very few other than elderly and infirm have suffered serious health consequences.  I don't like the idea of fan-less competitions, but in that case the athletes competing represent about the most bulletproof population and their safety is not really an issue.

If safety is an issue, wouldn't that also be a concern for the D1 tournament?  Probably a rhetorical question since we all know the D1 tournament money probably trumps other considerations.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I strongly resist this line of thinking.  This would further promote misinformation and panic.  The facts are that very few other than elderly and infirm have suffered serious health consequences.  I don't like the idea of fan-less competitions, but in that case the athletes competing represent about the most bulletproof population and their safety is not really an issue.

If safety is an issue, wouldn't that also be a concern for the D1 tournament?  Probably a rhetorical question since we all know the D1 tournament money probably trumps other considerations.

The television revenue trumps ticket sales.  Obviously they don't want empty arenas, but it's not out of the question, especially if the NBA goes that route.  As long as the games are on TV, the NCAA won't care too much.

I tend to be on the side of "its an overreaction," however, I do think the reality that young people can by asymptomatic carriers is worth considering.  People without symptoms are much more likely to unknowingly spread the virus - and college students are prime candidates for that.

My main caution on the other side is that if (and it is very much an if) this is an overreaction, it's likely to lead to an under-reaction next time.  The public response tends to swing on a pendulum.  We want to take appropriate action, but not more - an abundance of caution can sometimes lead to an absence of it in the future.

Schools should do what they think is best.  It does seems most institutions are taking the reality of the virus seriously without overreacting. We may see limited crowds going forward and online courses without closing campuses.  Limited gathering size, etc.  We'll have to roll with whatever comes.

[gordonmann]

For those who think this is all an overreaction, I encourage you to read this article (or a similar article in an outlet of your choice):

https://www.vox.com/2020/3/10/21171481/coronavirus-us-cases-quarantine-cancellation

I was in the "Calm down, you're overreacting crowd" for the reasons mentioned below. This article gave me a new perspective.

It's not just about whether the athletes are healthy or even whether the disease is more lethal than the flu. There are overall resource limitations on the medical system as a whole and the speed with which the virus inundates the system matters.

[VT-Alum-NOVA]

It is not the Amherst campus that players are fearful of.  It is being in an airplane (lesser degree in airport) with recirculating air for hours in a crowded tin can with 100 other people.  Especially in flight back home from MA/CT where passengers would be from Boston area where COVID-19 has more cases each day.  This is why Universities are sending students home because dorm life tends to breed viruses.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

It is not the Amherst campus that players are fearful of.  It is being in an airplane (lesser degree in airport) with recirculating air for hours in a crowded tin can with 100 other people.  Especially in flight back home from MA/CT where passengers would be from Boston area where COVID-19 has more cases each day.  This is why Universities are sending students home because dorm life tends to breed viruses.

The CDC has specifically said recirculated air on planes is unlikely to spread disease.  Now, being sneezed on by an infected fellow passenger certainly would.  No player should be forced to travel or play if they won't want to do so.

I also think a lot of campuses are taking this action because of spring break.  So many students coming back from so many places creates way more variables.  I suspect if this were happening after a break, they'd likely do things differently.

[gordonmann]

This is why Universities are sending students home because dorm life tends to breed viruses.

Yeesh. That's definitely the truth.

[VT-Alum-NOVA]

I agree with not forcing a player to fly to play a sweet 16 game.  but external social pressure once you get there is GREAT for any 18-20 year old to say "no thanks".  and it does not help their fears when their peers on campus are going home soon.  players on the teams are talking about this especially when they see a D1 conference tournament get cancelled outright.
COVID-19 has been found to be MUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS then seasonal flu.  so close proximately in an airplane is not ideal especially when the area you are flying back from (MA) has more COVID-19 cases than their state of origin.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I agree with not forcing a player to fly to play a sweet 16 game.  but external social pressure once you get there is GREAT for any 18-20 year old to say "no thanks".  and it does not help their fears when their peers on campus are going home soon.  players on the teams are talking about this especially when they see a D1 conference tournament get cancelled outright.
COVID-19 has been found to be MUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS then seasonal flu.  so close proximately in an airplane is not ideal especially when the area you are flying back from (MA) has more COVID-19 cases than their state of origin.

According to the CDC, COVID19 and the flu are in the same category of contagion - both are transmittable through cough and sneeze from within 6 feet.  COVID19 has a higher level of asymptomatic persons, so it's less noticeable.  That seems to be the major problem for containment and treatment right now.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Again, I don't think any of these campuses has reported any positive tests.  The campuses themselves are not dangerous; the issue many schools have is that spring break is this week and they don't want students who've traveled to so many different places coming back together to potentially infect each other.

There's no danger in teams traveling to Amherst; Amherst wants to keep it that way, so they're telling people to go home and stay there.

I think Berea is the only d3 school, so far, that's closed with positive tests on campus.

[VT-Alum-NOVA]

WHO reported that COVID-19 can be spread faster due to higher incubation period and longer serial interval.  I do not know if this means higher contagion or not.  but faster is not good.
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200306-sitrep-46-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=96b04adf_2

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

WHO reported that COVID-19 can be spread faster due to higher incubation period and longer serial interval.  I do not know if this means higher contagion or not.  but faster is not good.
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200306-sitrep-46-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=96b04adf_2

I believe that's collective speed.  It will get from one place to another more quickly because of the incubation period and lack of symptoms for many carriers, but it's not easier for an individual to catch.  That's the distinction.  It's a more difficult collective disease to montior, but it's not more contagious than flu for individuals.

[Roundball999]

Dave's point about inundating the system all at once may be the most valid reason for these actions.  Most experts have already concluded that there is no stopping or containing this, it's just a matter of how long it takes for the population to be infected and begin the recovery process.  For example Germany today announced they expect 60%-70% of their population to be infected so the goal is simply to win time so as to not overwhelm the system all at once.  Same expectation is true here in the US; 50% + expected to be infected but most will never know it and will never be diagnosed.  One epidemiologist acquaintance privately joked about just getting infected to get it over with and move on with life.

[VT-Alum-NOVA]

wonder if "rioting" at Dayton due to closing school helps or not whether Capital Univ closes doors to fans for final 4?