One of the most exciting things about the NCAA March Madness tournament is it gives smaller schools a chance to compete against the big time blue bloods of college basketball. Often times these David v Goliath match-ups are exciting. The smaller school with their backs against the wall and not a chance in the world pushing the bigger school to the brink. Then, sometimes, it happens. The smaller school has the ball with a chance to win and sinks a buzzer beater to move on. Inevitably they show a camera shot of the students from that school going crazy. Remember Loyola in 2018. Sister Jean? She was the talk of the tournament! Every year there's an amazing story just like that.... Every year except this one.

NCAA President Mark Emmert announced that they will be holding March Madness games in empty arenas. Minus the team, media, and player's families, there will be no one else in the arena. Now when those buzzer beaters drop it will be as quiet as a golfer in the tee box.

The NCAA apparently was the first domino to fall. The IHSA, Illinois High School Association, announced that attendance for their basketball tournaments, being held in Peoria to determine state champions, will also be limited. Each school will be allowed just 60 spectators apiece.

That's also as of right now. The NBA had planned to start playing games in empty arenas until one of their players, Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gobert, contracted the coronavirus. Within a matter of a few hours the season had been suspended.

Should large sporting events, concerts, conventions, and similar events be put on hold until the coronavirus craze has passed? Tell us in the comments.

 

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