The Adrian College men’s basketball team was recently named in the NCAA Division III tournament. A championship run at the end-of-season tournament would have been a fitting close to the campaign, and Adrian was certainly in contention. However, the college is just the latest sporting victim of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
Global sport has come to a grinding halt in the face of the infectious virus and the NCAA was forced to act last week. In a decision that many believed impossible even a couple of weeks ago, the NCAA canceled its basketball tournaments. Once the NBA took the first step and suspended the season, it seemed inevitable the NCAA would follow.
With the decision, the sporting calendar has all but ceased and the consequences are wide-ranging. Not only are schools denied the chance to compete for championships, but the market surrounding basketball is impacted. For example, people who use a guide to NCAA basketball betting may have to wait until next season to put their new skills into action.
In a statement posted to Twitter, the association wrote:
“Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year, given ongoing decisions by other entities.”
https://twitter.com/NCAA/status/1238197201928667136
For Adrian College, it brings to an end a campaign that was promising so much. Just days after competing in the first round, the tough decision to cancel the tournaments to curb the spread of COVID-19 was made. In fact, the decision came when the basketball team was either preparing or en route to host school South Central College.
For Adrian College athletic director Michael Duffy, the situation is unprecedented, but he admits the Bulldogs ultimately support the decision.
“In my 35 years at Adrian College, this is the first time that I ever remember the NCAA pulling the plug on tournaments,” said Duffy. “I think the last 36 hours (since Thursday) have been very tough on everybody. College presidents, the NCAA, conference commissioners. With the NBA making that first step and the NHL pausing their season and baseball pausing Spring Training, it’s kind of a snowball effect, and it’s good for the health, safety and well-being of everybody.”
Duffy says the focus of the college instantly turned to get athletes home safely. It is worth noting Adrian also had its women’s hockey team competing in its own postseason tournament.
“You knew it was coming,” Duffy continued. “I was trying to help my coaches along and I have people all over the country right now. I have bowling down Tennessee, I have wrestlers out in Iowa, I have track and field people down in North Carolina that went four or five days ago, so trying to get all of them home safely, the disgruntlement of the students and the coaches, it’s disheartening but it’s good. It’s for the safety of them. We all understand that it’s hard to digest right now, but time will heal all wounds.”
While in the greater picture of public safety, the cancellation of sports events is trivial, the situation is undoubtedly heart-breaking for Adrian College. The Bulldogs were competing for their first-ever NCAA and were certainly in contention for the championship. Still, a loss to the host team, The Cardinals, in round 1 brought to a close a historic season and the focus turned to getting athletes home safely.
