In an effort to control safety logistics around the men’s basketball tournament, the NCAA and the city of Indianapolis have finalized plans to contain the entire 68-team tournament to six sites — four of them in Indianapolis.
The NCAA’s men’s basketball committee announced Nov. 16 it was in preliminary talks with Indiana to hold the entire 68-team tournament. Indianapolis was already scheduled to host the Final Four from April 3-5. The NCAA preferred to host the tournament at a single site rather than its typical 13 spread around the country, which it said “would be very difficult to execute” during the pandemic.
The Indiana Sports Corp. had previously developed a plan for teams and conferences to play inside a bubble. Those games would have been played on courts at the Indiana Convention Center, one option for the NCAA tournament if no fans are allowed.
“Thankfully, this will not be our city’s first time serving as host,” Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said. “… there is a proud tradition of holding these games in Indianapolis, the Circle City, and we’re looking forward to another safe, competitive and entertaining month of college basketball.”
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The questions now turn to logistics.
Will there be fans? Will the structure for the event itself be altered in any way? What will NCAA protocols require regarding testing, contact tracing and isolation?
There are some answers per the NCAA release:
The Indiana Convention Center will be used as a practice facility, with multiple courts set up inside the venue. Marriott properties, an official NCAA Corporate Partner, will house most of the tournament teams and are connected to the convention center via skywalks and within a controlled environment. All teams will be housed on dedicated hotel floors, with physically distanced meeting and dining rooms, as well as secure transportation to and from competition venues.
The NCAA is partnering with a local health provider to administer COVID-19 testing within the controlled environment for players, coaching staffs, administrators and officials. The Marion County Health Department has approved medical protocols shared by the NCAA.
Should the association opt for a true bubble setup, it would have precedent to follow. Some nonconference tournaments, including the displaced Maui Invitational, bubbled their teams during competition, in some cases to great effect.
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“The Maui event was an unbelievable blueprint for how you can be successful in those types of situations,” IU coach Archie Miller said last month. “Hopefully the NCAA tournament can communicate with those guys.”
The NCAA has made it clear this is a one-year solution to a problem everyone hopes will be off the table by 2022. But given the deep relationship between the city and the NCAA, and Indy’s reputation as an ideal site for big events, it’s one both sides are confident can work.
“We welcome this tremendous opportunity for our city and are confident that we could make this an incredible, and safe experience for all involved,” said Indiana Sports Corp president Ryan Vaughn.
CBS Sports and Turner Sports will continue to distribute all 67 games of the tournament across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV, according to the November news release.
NEXT: Opinion – IU athletic director Scott Dolson