The NCAA is working to ensure that coronavirus isn’t the biggest March Madness upset of the year.
Internal memos show the NCAA is preparing for the possibility of a coronavirus disruption in the United States during the annual college basketball tournaments for men’s and women’s teams that begin on March 17. Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has infected more than 80,000 people around the globe after the outbreak began in Wuhan, China. Around 60 people in the U.S. have been infected.
In preparation for future spreading of the disease, the NCAA sent several memos to coaches and other association officials about their plan to stay ahead of the illness as the March Madness tournament approaches.
“NCAA staff continues to prepare for March Madness but we are keenly aware of coronavirus and will continue to monitor in coordination with state/local health authorities and the CDC,” the association said in memos obtained by USA Today.
The NCAA added, “Regarding championship play for the winter and spring seasons, the NCAA is taking concerted steps to maintain the first-rate delivery of NCAA championship experiences for participating student-athletes, team personnel and fans.”
The association warned coaches and administrators to monitor the health of players and said it would also be monitoring its health and safety checklist with each host team to ensure the safety of those attending any games.
“As they would with any public health crisis, championships staff will add appropriate safeguards in coordination with campus and local health response teams to address COVID-19 concerns,” the association wrote. “The NCAA Sport Science Institute encourages athletics departments to carefully review these materials with applicable institutional health care providers and other relevant campus personnel and to implement, as necessary, appropriate risk-mitigating initiatives.”
The memos were published just days after Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine expert Nancy Messonnier announced that “disruption to everyday life may be severe.” She also warned that schools and other event spaces should have cancellation plans ready.
There have been more than 82,000 confirmed to have coronavirus around the world, and roughly 2,600 have died, mainly in China.
