NCAA Announces Contingency Plans for Teams Forced to Withdraw from Tournament Due to COVID-19

Once the bracket is set, it will not be changed per the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees

The NCAA announced its plans for tournament teams that are forced to withdraw from next month's Division 1 men's basketball tournament on Thursday afternoon. 

Here is the full release from the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Committees:

"The following tenets are fundamental to the committees’ decision:

• Once the bracket is finalized and released, teams will not be reseeded, nor will the bracket change.
• Reasonable efforts will be made to ensure a full field is in place before the start of the championship. No replacement teams will be introduced after the championship begins.
• Every participating conference should have the opportunity for a minimum of one team in the championship field.
• Beyond the goal of having at least one team from every conference, replacement teams must be among the best teams being considered for an at-large bid.

"There are separate policies for when a team is forced to withdraw: one for before the announcement of the championship field and one for after the release of the bracket. Replacement teams will only be introduced into the championship within 48 hours after the announcement of the field, and at no time thereafter."

Last week, the NCAA announced that all arenas in Indianapolis would be reduced to 25 percent capacity for all rounds and the Final Four.

“We continue to use the knowledge we have gained over the season on how to conduct games in a safe environment,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a press release. “I want to thank our host universities and conferences, the Indiana State Health Department, and the leaders in the Marion, Monroe and Tippecanoe county health departments as they help make that possible.”