The bad news with the coronavirus keeps on pouring in with regards to sports spectatorship. The virus that has swept through North America at an alarming rate has forced the NCAA to shut fans out of the Men’s and Women’s tournament played annually in March.
Breaking: The NCAA announces the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be held without fans because of the coronavirus.
Only “essential staff and limited family attendance.” pic.twitter.com/TK1hr4zfUv
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 11, 2020
The NCAA is just the latest league to take extra precautions and shut fans out attending sports events. Major League Baseball shut down media access to clubhouses and the Mariners will not be able to play their home opener in Washington.
The NBA is also facing a similar issue, with the Golden State Warriors and Nets expected to be the first team to play without a crowd. The San Francisco Health Department made it so that events could not exceed one-thousand people, hence the closeout.
The NCAA has not announced how far into the tournament the ban will last, but it is expected to last throughout the month. The tournament will allow family and essential staff into the tournament. It’s not clear how the league officials will be able to control who is allowed in or not.
