NCAA cancels March Madness over coronavirus pandemic
It's also cancelled all remaining winter and spring championships.
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The NCAA will not crown a basketball champion this year. Just one day after it said it would restrict attendance at upcoming Division 1 men's and women's basketball tournaments, the NCAA has officially cancelled those events, as well as all of its remaining winter and spring championships.
"This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to [the] spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities," the NCAA said.
The news comes as other leagues have taken similar measures. In particular, the NBA suspended its season yesterday after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. While the cancellation is likely to affect everyone involved, on the technology front streaming services will likely be hard hit. Even people who aren't fans of college sports or basketball tune in to March Madness to see how their brackets turn out and the tournament is an obvious focus for companies like Turner Sports. Earlier this month, Turner updated its slate of streaming apps in preparation for the competition, adding enhancements like multiview viewing. For the time being, that effort won't be rewarded.
