The NCAA men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments, also known as March Madness, will be played without fans due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, NCAA President Mark Emmert confirmed on Wednesday. “I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance,” Emmert said in a statement. “While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States.” The move comes after immunologist Anthony Fauci of the U.S. National Institutes of Health said Wednesday morning that “we would recommend that there not be large crowds.” He added: “If that means not having any people in the audience, so be it.” There are at least 1000 confirmed cases of the flu-like virus in the U.S. and 33 deaths.
