ATLANTA (Cox Media Group) – The madness will go on in March – but without college basketball fans in the stands.
The NCAA announced that games in the Division I men’s basketball tournament will not be played in front of fans. The decision comes in response to growing concerns about the coronavirus.
This includes the Men’s Final Four, which Atlanta is hosting April 4 through 6 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The NCAA men’s tournament starts Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. Cities in California, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Washington were all selected to host the other rounds. All of those states have confirmed or presumed positive coronavirus cases.
The NCAA’s decision also applies to the Division I women’s tournament. The tournament selects individual schools to host the opening rounds on campus. The Women’s Final Four is set for New Orleans.
College basketball isn’t the only sport that has made changes over the coronavirus. A few NBA, MLB and MLS teams are also making decisions to not play upcoming games in front of fans.