Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, six of the eight slots in next week’s Ivy Madness have been set. One thing that is not as secure are the final plans of the tournaments, due to the increasing public health threat form the novel coronavirus.
As the scope of the disease increases in numbers and locations throughout the United States, governments, corporations, schools, houses of worship and hospitals are among the many groups that have had to figure out how to perform normal actions while providing proper levels of safety and protection.
Add college basketball to that list.
On March 3, the NCAA announced the formation of an advisory panel of member schools, along with public-health and epidemiology experts to guide its response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, officially named COVID-19.
“The NCAA is committed to conducting its championships and events in a safe and responsible manner,” said NCAA chief operating officer Donald Remy in a released statement. “Today we are planning to conduct our championships as planned, however, we are evaluating the COVID-19 situation daily and will make decisions accordingly.
“The NCAA will make decisions that are first and foremost reflective of medical best practices and keeps the health and safety of student-athletes, administrators and fans as the number one priority,” Remy said.
“Given the fluid situation, the advisory panel will meet regularly and provide valuable insight and expertise as the Association navigates this complicated public health challenge,” said Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer of the NCAA.
At the end of February, the National College Players Association, an advocacy group for college athletes, recommended that the NCAA and its colleges take precautions to protect college athletes and communicating the details to the public. One recommendation was to cancel all events that put players in contact with crowds, such as meet and greets and press events.
Another suggestion was holding NCAA Tournament games without an audience present, an idea the NCAA has not ruled out of hand.
While March Madness starts on the 17th with the start of the First Four games, individual conference tournaments need to make plans earlier.
“The league is in communication with its member institutions, medical personnel, competition venues and media partners.,” said the Atlantic 10 in a statement. “In addition, the pre- and post-game protocol of student-athlete handshakes have been suspended, substituting “forearm bumps,” and back of house areas will be supplied with sanitizing gel and appropriate security to limit access by non-essential personnel.”
What about the Ivy League?
When reached for comment last week, a conference official told Ivy Hoops Online, “we certainly are continuing to monitor and have the necessary conversations with Harvard and other officials, as appropriate.”
Officials at the Boston Public Health Commission and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) informed Ivy Hoops Online that there was a MDPH conference call with all Bay State universities and colleges. When asked for details of the meeting, the MDPH requested that Harvard University Health Services be contacted.
An HUHS official did not respond to a request regarding the March 3 conference call and any recommendations provided to the conference and the school’s Athletic Department.
On Thursday, the league acknowledged contingency plans, but did not give any specifics:
“The league office has a number of contingency plans in place for all league events, including the Ivy League Basketball Tournaments. At this point, there are no changes to next weekend’s schedule. We will continue to monitor the situation and rely on the guidance of campus, local and state authorities to determine the best course of action for all teams and fans.”
Harvard Athletics noted that all home events remain as scheduled, as of 12:00 p.m. Thursday. However, “events may be moved because of safety issues for teams traveling to and from Cambridge. All schedules are subject to change as more information becomes available.”
When asked for specific health and safety plans for fans planning on attending the upcoming games, both groups did not respond.
Columbia Athletics, however, did provide information to its email list late Thursday afternoon for this weekend’s games.
Lions Fans –
We look forward to your attendance at our upcoming events. To further ensure the health of our fans we are asking everyone to observe the following tips.
* Wash your hands with soap for about 20 seconds
* Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
* Cough or sneeze into the bend of your arm/elbow
* Please consider greetings where you are not physically touching another person such as a handshake or a hug
Please see building signage or ask a building manager for the location of bathrooms in each facility.
Columbia has also increased the frequency of disinfecting high touch areas throughout the University.
We ask that you please not attend any athletic events if you, a family member, or close friend has traveled to China, Japan, Iran, South Korea, or Italy in the past 2-3 weeks. If you are feeling under the weather, we recommend you stay home and can view the games on ESPN+.
Thank you all for your cooperation!
In addition, a Thursday statement from Cornell’s Provost, Vice Provost for International Affairs, and Vice President for Student and Campus Life shows that the Big Red has decided to follow the lead of Stanford University over its Ivy brethren.
Effective Monday, March 9, we are postponing or canceling large (more than 100 people), non-essential events or work-related gatherings scheduled through April 15. This includes events sponsored by the university, colleges, schools, departments or units, as well as student-sponsored events, where a significant number of participants are expected to travel to or from the region for the event. This policy does not include on-campus events where participation is primarily by Cornell audiences.
While this health crisis is in flux and news changes by the moment, it is important to note that things have only become more serious with each passing day. With the start of the Ivy Tournament a few days away, the league and Harvard will need to be proactive, forthcoming and detailed in its communications, as athletes, coaching staffs, students, media and fans from all over the nation, and possibly from abroad, make important decisions about attending Ivy Madness.