All NCAA Tournament Games in Dayton and Cleveland Will Be Played Without Fans Amid Coronavirus Concerns
By Michael Luciano
The college basketball world has taken several major steps to eliminate the possibility of coronavirus potentially spreading between fans at a game by either cancelling games or closing them off to the public.
The latter strategy has been recommended by Ohio governor Mike DeWine, who decreed that any NCAA Tournament games played in the state will take place behind closed doors without any fans in attendance.
The governor of Ohio further clarified: The state will issue an order that NCAA tournament games in Ohio, which included the First Four in Dayton, will be played without spectators.
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) March 11, 2020
Dayton will once again host the "First Four" games, while Cleveland is scheduled to host first- and second-round action on March 20 and March 22.
There have been only four confirmed cases in Ohio, but the total number of confirmed cases in the United States recently surpassed 1,000. It's good to err on the side of caution with such a unique scenario.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has told reporters that there will soon be an order for no mass gatherings in Ohio, which includes the First Four in Dayton and the NCAA Tournament in Cleveland.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 11, 2020
As weird as it may be to see a March game without the exhilarated fans in the stands, this is understandable given how serious the coronavirus outbreak has become in this country. Better a game have no fans than one that could cause the disease to spread.