Several college conferences announced on Wednesday that games would be closed to fans due to coronavirus concerns, but the NBA’s decision to suspend its season entirely following Rudy Gobert’s positive test for coronavirus set a new standard for sports leagues that some conferences chose not to adhere to.
Over the course of a few hours on Thursday morning, MLS suspended its season, the PGA Tour announced that fans will not be allowed at tournaments, and the Big Ten, SEC and AAC conference tournaments were all canceled.
The Big East tournament in Madison Square Garden proceeded on Thursday afternoon, with No. 7 Creighton playing St. John’s.
Every league has canceled its tournament and uhhhh the Big East is just out here playing like nothing’s going on pic.twitter.com/QnvCX8mQnw
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) March 12, 2020
In Greensboro, ACC commissioner John Swofford addressed the media before games were set to tip, and said that while the situation was changing “hourly,” the league still planned to play games – a decision backed by league athletic directors.
Swofford asked if waiting to postpone/cancel at the point when someone is diagnosed with COVID-19 is too late. "Fair question," he says. "… There's risk in every path you take with something like this."
— Andrew Carter (@_andrewcarter) March 12, 2020
Just a few minutes before warmups, after Clemson and Florida State players had already taken the floor for warmups, the ACC announced that the tournament has been canceled.
UPDATE: pic.twitter.com/UTlO4MTVxI
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) March 12, 2020
At such an uncertain time, both conferences were roasted for their inaction on social media by fans and analysts alike.
One good thing about Big East tourney still being played is it’s showing that “essential personnel” is apparently still a ton of people and that plan was never going to work. It would take a little while to notice something is off if you had no idea this thing was closed to fans.
— Mark Titus (@clubtrillion) March 12, 2020
Every other conference tournament: cancelled.
Big East, which is currently playing games at MSG: pic.twitter.com/wVaVbEAjIS
— Kendall Baker (@TheKendallBaker) March 12, 2020
Does the Big East believe that the last conference playing will be awarded some kind of award or cash prize?
— Chris Hassel (@Hassel_Chris) March 12, 2020
Every conference tourney is cancelled
The Big East rn: pic.twitter.com/2weM41hKFT
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) March 12, 2020
How are the Big East and MAAC still playing?
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) March 12, 2020
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