March Madness
Robert Smith '22 Staff Writer
College basketball fans look forward to March Madness every year, but this year, fans’s expectations were not fulfilled. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 68-team men’s tournament and 64-team women’s tournament were canceled, just days before they were due to start.
The NCAA cited concerns about player safety in its decision to cancel. Prior to the cancellation, perennial title contender Duke University announced that its teams would not participate in order to protect its players.
The tournaments, to determine the NCAA Division I Basketball champions, are preceded by “Selection Sunday,” when the participating teams are announced and given seeds in the bracket. That announcement is normally followed by the “First Four” play-in games, where eight low-seeded men’s teams compete for spots in the main bracket.
2020 March Madness would have lasted until early April, culminating with the men’s championship game on April 6.
Many at Howard High were looking forward to the competition. Student athlete Ryan Kuehl stated that “millions of people watch [March Madness],” and called it his “favorite sporting event of the year.”
Although there will be no new professional or collegiate sports for at least the next few months, fans can watch rebroadcasts of old games on ESPN and other sports-dedicated TV channels.
The NCAA cited concerns about player safety in its decision to cancel. Prior to the cancellation, perennial title contender Duke University announced that its teams would not participate in order to protect its players.
The tournaments, to determine the NCAA Division I Basketball champions, are preceded by “Selection Sunday,” when the participating teams are announced and given seeds in the bracket. That announcement is normally followed by the “First Four” play-in games, where eight low-seeded men’s teams compete for spots in the main bracket.
2020 March Madness would have lasted until early April, culminating with the men’s championship game on April 6.
Many at Howard High were looking forward to the competition. Student athlete Ryan Kuehl stated that “millions of people watch [March Madness],” and called it his “favorite sporting event of the year.”
Although there will be no new professional or collegiate sports for at least the next few months, fans can watch rebroadcasts of old games on ESPN and other sports-dedicated TV channels.