NCAA cancels March Madness, Big Ten cancels remainder of spring activities

The Michigan Wolverines, along with the rest of the college basketball world, will be without the NCAA Tournament and several other events due to the coronavirus outbreak. The event was canceled and made official on Thursday. The Big Ten also canceled athletic events through the rest of the spring semester, which includes baseball and softball, among other sports.

This sucks. Just read the statements. I have nothing else to add here.

From the NCAA on March Madness:

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.

From the Big Ten on rest of spring calendar:

The Big Ten Conference announced today that in addition to the Men’s Basketball Tournament it will be canceling all conference and non-conference competitions through the end of the academic year, including spring sports that compete beyond the academic year, and participation in all NCAA tournaments and competitions. In addition, the Conference has announced a moratorium on all on- and off-campus recruiting activities for the foreseeable future.

The Big Ten Conference will use this time to work with the appropriate medical experts and institutional leadership to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The main priority of the Big Ten Conference continues to be the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans and media as we continue to monitor all developing and relevant information on the COVID-19 virus.

From Michigan Athletics:

The Big Ten Conference announced that it is canceling the remainder of the winter and spring sports seasons due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

In response, the University of Michigan has suspended all athletic activities, including practices, effective immediately, until further notice.

To be clear, the University of Michigan will not compete or hold organized practices in any team or individual sport until further notice.

There you have it.