One day after announcing that March Madness would proceed around the country with no fans in attendance, the NCAA announced on Thursday that the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, along with all winter and spring NCAA championships, have been canceled. 2020 will be the first year since a tournament was introduced to determine the men’s college basketball champion in 1939 that there will not be a championship tournament.
The announcement came hours after many major college conferences canceled their ongoing conference tournaments on Thursday. After the ACC tournament was called off minutes before the first game of the day was set to tip off, Duke University announced that all athletics activities have been suspended by the school. Kansas, which has the top men’s basketball team in the nation and would have entered the tournament as a likely top overall seed, also announced that athletics have been suspended.
NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships: https://t.co/qzKAS4McEI pic.twitter.com/G6XreZx35E
— NCAA (@NCAA) March 12, 2020
College basketball fans are understandably upset, and the 2020 men’s college tournament was projected to be one of the most unpredictable we’ve ever seen. The cancellation of all winter and spring championships is heartbreaking for athletes in their senior years across the nation, but the collective health of the public needs to be made a top priority in such uncertain times.
March Madness has officially been cancelled pic.twitter.com/0znLzg4np9
— Stephen A. Smith Burner (@SASBurnerAcct) March 12, 2020
Everyone sitting at their houses, quarantined from work and school, with no March Madness to watch #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/i6dcSS6rEu
— Caitlyn Preast (@caitpreast) March 12, 2020
One coach who was headed to the NCAA tournament:
“It’s bulls%^*&. Erase all the work these kids have put in without giving it a chance to play out."
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 12, 2020
No March Madness, so I’m just watching throwback highlights. 🥺 @SLAMRewind pic.twitter.com/fPj43fBCyn
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) March 12, 2020
No Conference Tournaments
No March Madness
No College World Series
(Probably) No Spring Football pic.twitter.com/VCMgQUFnuF— TexAgs (@TexAgs) March 12, 2020
I realize it's a first world problem, and the right thing to do, but really feeling for all the NCAA athletes, especially those already at the Indoor champs which are supposed to start tomorrow. #cancelled
— Kara Goucher (@karagoucher) March 12, 2020
MLB: Suspends season
NBA: Suspends season
MLS: Suspends season
NHL: Suspends season
March Madness: Probably suspended
Me: pic.twitter.com/euslEzrKjL
— Kent (@RealKentMurphy) March 12, 2020
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