UPDATE: March 11, at 8:10 p.m.

NCAA President Mark Emmert announced Wednesday that the upcoming championship tournaments, including men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, will be held with “only essential staff and limited family attendance.”  

“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,” Emmert said in the press release. “This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.” 

The NCAA made the decision after consulting with public health officials and its COVID-19 advisory panel. The spectator restriction applies to the upcoming NIT, an official confirmed to The Daily Orange. The WNIT “is continuing with its standard preparation in advance of the event,” it said in a statement. 

Syracuse men’s basketball second-round Atlantic Coast Conference tournament match against North Carolina in Greensboro, North Carolina will be played unaffected, with fans in attendance. After that, all ACC tournament games will be played with “only essential tournament personnel, limited school administrators and student-athlete guests, broadcast television and credentialed media members present,” per an ACC press release. 

The ACC’s decision to limit fan access came after the Big 12 and Big Ten. The former conference’s rule also applies to “all further spring and winter Big Ten sports.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the Ivy League cancelled all of its spring sports for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. This decision will affect Syracuse’s upcoming schedules in various sports. 

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MORE COVERAGE: 

• ACC cancels men’s basketball tournament amid spread of coronavirus
• Inside the confusion at the ACC tournament amid coronavirus restrictions
• ACC tournament to follow NCAA, Big 10,Big 12 in restricting fan access
• Syracuse men’s lacrosse game at Rutgers to be played without fans
• How coronavirus may affect Syracuse athletics

In men’s lacrosse, the Ivy League has three top-five teams — No. 2 Cornell, No. 3 Princeton and No. 5 Yale. No. 1 Syracuse’s game against Cornell, scheduled for April 7, won’t happen. Syracuse was also scheduled to play at Cornell in women’s lacrosse on April 14. SU Softball was also scheduled to play at Cornell on April 15.

No other conference has canceled competition, and Syracuse Athletics’ statement as of March 10 said “there have been no changes to our competition schedule.” Syracuse University has already suspended on-campus classes until at least March 30. 

“In partnership with the University officials, Syracuse University Athletics continues to monitor and assess information from agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Onondaga County Department of Health to inform decisions that are in the best interest of the health and wellness of our student-athletes and staff,” the statement read. 

Syracuse Athletics could not be immediately reached for an updated comment.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

Published on March 11, 2020 at 6:39 pm

Contact Danny: [email protected] | @DannyEmerman