No Replacement Teams Needed For Men's NCAA Tournament

NCAA senior vice president Dan Gavitt announced Tuesday there will be no replacement teams for the 2021 men's NCAA tournament,

Louisville, Colorado State, Saint Louis and Ole Miss were selected as the replacement teams for the men's tournament, which kicks off with the First Four on Thursday night. But with no teams opting to withdraw, each team in the original field of 68 will take the floor in Indianapolis. 

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Related: NCAA Men's Tournament Opening Odds

There will be no replacement teams in the 2021 tournament, though teams could still be forced to exit Indianapolis due to COVID-19 concerns. If a program cannot continue its season due to medical reasons, its opponent will advance per the NCAA's no-contest policy. 

Virginia and Kansas both had to withdraw from their respective conference tournaments after players in their program tested positive for COVID-19. As of Wednesday, both will move forward in the NCAA tournament.

Related: What Happens if a Team Gets COVID During March Madness?

Teams are required to have seven consecutive days of negative tests results in order to play in Indianapolis, which includes people in the school's 34-person travel party. In addition to the tests, each team must have five eligible players to participate.

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