The Big Ten has announced they are canceling the rest of the men’s basketball tournament, effective immediately.
Their statement reads as follows:
The Big Ten Conference announced today that it will be canceling the remainder of the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, effective immediately.
The Big Ten Conference will use this time to work with the appropriate medical experts and institutional leadership to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The main priority of the Big Ten Conference continues to be the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans and media as we continue to monitor all developing and relevant information on the COVID-19 virus.
The announcement was made while Rutgers and Michigan were warming up for their tip-off shortly after 12:00 pm.
The games were scheduled to be played without fans, but with the NBA going on hiatus, as well as the MLB, and each university implementing their own specific travel regulations, this move was not a surprise.
Wednesday night’s scare with Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg falling ill and the reality of what it would have meant for his team and the team they played had he tested positive for COVID-19 instead of negative also surely played a part in the Big Ten’s decision to end the tournament immediately.
No announcement has been made yet regarding the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament, which is still scheduled to be played without fans in attendance.
Rod Serling: “Imagine a world in which the Big Ten basketball tournament was canceled….” No imagining required anymore.
Oh, dear, how will we survive?
Coming soon: Zombie Apocalypse.