Amidst the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Big 12 conference has ultimately decided to cancel the men’s basketball tournament.
The Longhorns were set to tip off against Texas Tech in Kansas City on Thursday morning in a crucial matchup to increase their chances of receiving an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Texas and Texas Tech players have been pulled off the floor.
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) March 12, 2020
The players were escorted off of the court during warm-ups.
Bob Bowlsby, Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, held a presser shortly after to discuss the cancellation. Bowlsby reiterated that once the Mayor declared a state of emergency, it hastened their discussions.
Although NCAA President Mark Emmert released a statement on Wednesday that assured only essential staff and limited family would be able to attend any NCAA events, he also stated that the situation will continue to be monitored and adjustments will be made on an as-needed basis.
It appears those adjustments are already beginning to take shape. It’s unclear what will ultimately happen with the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but conferences have begun cancelling their postseason tournaments altogether.
The only major conference that has not cancelled thus far is the Big East.
It’s a sudden, disappointing end to Texas’ season that seemingly just started. The Longhorns put themselves back in the postseason race after completing a five-game win streak in February.