ACC Suspends All Athletic Competitions Ahead of NCAA Tournament
The ACC has suspended all athletic competitions indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak, the conference announced Thursday.
“The Atlantic Coast Conference has suspended all athletic related activities including all competition, formal and organized practice, recruiting and participation in NCAA championships until further notice," the conference said in a statement.
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, Duke and Kansas decided to suspend all athletic competitions until further notice. Despite their choice, the Jayhawks are reportedly not pulling out of the NCAA tournament, according to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. He said a Kansas official informed him that the school's statement "has been misinterpreted."
The Jayhawks are ranked No. 1 in the nation, while the Blue Devils are No. 10.
The ACC's decision could have a major impact on the upcoming NCAA tournament, which is still set to begin next week. On Wednesday, the NCAA said it plans to hold March Madness without fans in attendance.
Conferences have begun canceling their tournaments ahead of March Madness. The ACC, Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, SEC and MAAC all canceled their respective tournaments on Thursday. The MAC, WAC and American Athletic Conference were also ready to kick off their respective tournaments on Thursday without fans in the stands, but those plans changed just before noon ET.
Arizona State also joined Duke and Kansas in ending all athletic competitions for the foreseeable future.
The coronavirus outbreak has impacted sports around the globe, and the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on Wednesday. There are more than 127,000 confirmed cases of the virus globally across at least 111 countries.
