Big 12, NCAA Tournaments Will be Played in Empty Arenas Amid Coronavirus Concerns

The NCAA and Big 12 are taking drastic steps in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Both organizations have barred fan attendance for postseason games.

NCAA President Mark Emmert released the following statement on Wedensday.

The NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel recognizes the fluidity of COVID-19 and its impact on hosting events in a public space. COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the United States, and behavioral risk mitigation strategies are the best option for slowing the spread of this disease. This is especially important because mildly symptomatic individuals can transmit COVID-19. Given these considerations, coupled with a more unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 in older adults – especially those with underlying chronic medical conditions – we recommend against sporting events open to the public. We do believe sport events can take place with only essential personnel and limited family attendance, and this protects the players, employees, and fans."

The Big 12 followed suit shortly after when commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced "limited access" for the postseason conference tournament starting Thursday.

Each team will have access to 125 tickets for family members. Bands, cheerleaders and dance teams will not be in attendance. The arena will be cleared in between each game.

The University of Texas is still allowing public attendance for sporting events, though the school is keeping a close eye on the situation according to reports.

“What’s the trigger? That’s the million-dollar question,” Terrance Hines, executive director and chief medical officer for University of Texas Health Services told KUT. “I think there’s different scenarios: A case in Austin, Travis County, which is associated with travel may be a different situation than one that was due to person-to-person local contact, which is different from a student who lives in off-campus housing, which is different from a student who lives in the dorm.”

The move could affect spring football activities as Michigan and Cincinnati and Kent State have already cancelled their spring football games according to a report.