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March Madness Is Coming - But Without Fans
A Spalding NBA basketball drops into a hoop (Photo by Gray Mortimore/Getty Images)
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The NCAA has announced that March Madness, its upcoming championship basketball games, will be held without fans, amid coronavirus fears.
The West Regional Sweet 16 games are scheduled to be held at Staples Center in L.A. on March 26 and March 28.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the NCAA’s president, Mark Emmert, said his decision was “based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States.”
NCAA President Mark Emmert statement on limiting attendance at NCAA events: https://t.co/TIHHJjdse5 pic.twitter.com/8I1HdceDfN
— NCAA (@NCAA) March 11, 2020
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The organization’s COVID-19 advisory panel released a statement as well, noting the ease with which the virus is spread and its “unfavorable outcome” among older adults.
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