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NCAA Cancels March Madness Tournaments Over Coronavirus Concerns

By Justin Phillips

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 06: The NCAA logo is seen on the wall as Yeshiva players warmup prior to playing against Worcester Polytechnic Institute during the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship - First Round at Goldfarb Gymnasium on at Johns Hopkins University on March 6, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. On Thursday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that Maryland had confirmed three cases of residents with COVID-19, otherwise known as the Coronavirus, prompting Johns Hopkins officials to host the NCAA men's basketball tournament without spectators. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 06: The NCAA logo is seen on the wall as Yeshiva players warmup prior to playing against Worcester Polytechnic Institute during the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship - First Round at Goldfarb Gymnasium on at Johns Hopkins University on March 6, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. On Thursday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that Maryland had confirmed three cases of residents with COVID-19, otherwise known as the Coronavirus, prompting Johns Hopkins officials to host the NCAA men's basketball tournament without spectators. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The NCAA has followed other sports entities and their response to Coronavirus and canceled March Madness all together.

The decision to cancel the biggest sports event in March for both Men’s and Women’s Basketball was not made lightly, but it was necessary following the NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and others in canceling or postponing their respective seasons for the safety of the general public and players.

The NCAA Tournament has been played every year since the first one in 1939, won by Oregon in Evanston Indiana. The chance for Oregon to get to the Final Four, or Elite Eight this season will end with Payton Pritchard’s final game being at Matthew Knight Arena as the team cut down the nets to take the regular-season Pac-12 title. The Oregon Men’s team was again on a roll as they have been in past seasons looking to make a run that was stopped short by Coronavirus.

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The team that I feel for the most is the Oregon Women’s Basketball team where every player was a household name and the best player in the game Sabrina Ionescu was on pace for a storybook ending to her senior season with NCAA stops at Matthew Knight Arena, and the Moda Center in Portland before potentially a Final Four appearance in New Orleans. Now, unfinished business will remain just that, unfinished.

The NCAA also canceled Spring Sports across the board including baseball and softball. On Friday, the NCAA started discussions of possibly granting an additional year of eligibility for spring sports which may also extend to Fall sports that were left unfinished.

Of course, it is unclear if Oregon’s Seniors like Pritchard, Ionescu, Sabally, and others would want to return to school all over again if it is an option.

Part of me hopes that this is an option, but time will tell.

Unfortunately, right now we will not be able to use sports as an outlet. We need to simply remember to remain calm and wash our hands.

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