Reports: NCAA Tournament To Be Held In One Location

According to reports on Monday, the NCAA is moving forward with having its 'March Madness' Tournament in a "controlled environment" location — Indianapolis is seen as the frontrunner

When the NBA first introduced the idea of a "bubble" environment in the NBA, it was seen as unrealistic and somewhat comical. Essentially keeping some of the NBA top stars locked away in a hotel for months away from their families and friends, it seemed like a recipe disaster.

But then the bubble became a massive hit, essentially serving as a glorified NCAA Tournament where the 16 best teams in the NBA fought for a championship. Ratings were solid and the unique perspective it brought to the fans are what made the whole environment so intriguing. 

With a diligent COVID-19 testing system and strict protocols for positive results and staying quarantined from the outside world, once completed the bubble was largely considered a success.

Reports have now surfaced the NCAA officials are going to take a page out of the NBA playbook and do what is being called a "controlled environment" for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

"My committee colleagues and I did not come lightly to the difficult decision to relocate the preliminary rounds of the 2021 tournament, as we understand the disappointment 13 communities will feel to miss out on being part of March Madness next year," said Mitch Barnhart, chair of the Division I Men's Basketball Committee and University of Kentucky athletic director, in the announcement. "With the University of Kentucky slated to host first- and second-round games in March, this is something that directly impacts our school and community, so we certainly share in their regret. The committee and staff deeply appreciate the efforts of all the host institutions and conferences, and we look forward to bringing the tournament back to the impacted sites in future years."

On the surface this scenario does sort of stink because it means that March Madness would not be shared throughout the country, as cities that were expected to serve as hosts would not longer see that revenue come in. 

There will be no First Four games in Dayton; no first-round games in Boise, Dallas, Detroit, Providence, Lexington, Raleigh, San Jose and Wichita; and no regional games in Denver, Minneapolis, Brooklyn and Memphis.

Apart from that, this is a brilliant idea moving forward if the NCAA still wants to host a tournament in the safest environment possible — at least just short of an actual bubble like the NBA did.

"We have learned so much from monitoring other successful sporting events in the last several months, and it became clear it's not feasible to manage this complex championship in so many different states with the challenges presented by the pandemic," said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball, in the announcement. "However, we are developing a solid plan to present a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we've experienced."

This will avoid all of the cross-country traveling for teams advancing in the tournament, as well as making the transmission rate staggeringly low from we are at from a societal standpoint.

Indianapolis has been mentioned as the top destination, and it makes the most sense since it can host the 68 teams invited to the tournament. If standing by tradition, the first and second rounds will need at least eight different gyms to play — which is why Indy makes the most sense. 

According to Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated, he believes Indianapolis and its surrounding colleges (of al levels) and multiple high schools could be the ideal scenario.

There is Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Final Four is scheduled. There is Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where the Pacers play and where the Big Ten tournament has often been held. There is historic Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler, one of the shrines of the sport. There is Indiana Farmers Coliseum, where IUPUI is playing home games and where the Horizon League had its 2020 tournament. There are many of the nation’s largest and best high school gyms in the general area, not to mention facilities at Division II Indianapolis and NAIA Marian University.

If the NCAA wants to host the tournament in bigger venues — which might not make the most sense because fans in arenas seems unlikely — but there are still options. Indiana's Assembly Hall and Purdue’s Mackey Arena are each an hour away from Indianapolis and could serve as other destinations.

"It will be a very controlled environment," Gavitt said. "It'll be different; it'll be historic; and it'll be hopefully something we all treasure and experience just once, hopefully not ever again."

Either way, the NCAA moving forward with this plan is a huge step in the right direction for bringing March Madness back to the country. 

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