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Ivy League cancels conference tournament due to Coronavirus concerns

Yale will receive the conference’s NCAA Tournament bid.

Yale v Howard Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

The Ivy League has decided to cancel its conference tournament amid Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, the league announced on Tuesday.

In lieu of a tournament that was slated to start on Saturday, Yale will receive the conference’s NCAA Tournament bid as the regular season champion. The decision to cancel the tournament is the first of college basketball’s postseason events to be shut down due to concerns about the spread of the virus.

Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris said the following regarding the decision:

“We understand and share the disappointment with student-athletes, coaches and fans who will not be able to participate in these tournaments,” Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris said. “Regrettably, the information and recommendations presented to us from public health authorities and medical professionals have convinced us that this is the most prudent decision.”

Just hours before, Turner Sports’ Jeff Zucker said that the NCAA Tournament was still in place to happen as planned:

We’ll continue to monitor the situation to see if other conferences decide to follow suit and the ramifications of the decision moving forward.


UPDATE (12:20 p.m.):

Senior Harvard Crimson guard Bryce Aiken tweeted his thoughts on the cancellation, excoriating the Ivy League for making this decision: