Ohio State freshman forward Kaleb Wesson (34) goes for the jump ball to start the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Mar. 2, 2018 in Madison Square Garden. Ohio State lost to Penn State 68-69. Credit: James King II | Former Sports Director
The Big Ten Tournament is set to proceed without limitations in Indianapolis, but with coronavirus outbreak updates breaking by the minute — including a spectator ban for first-round NCAA Tournament games in Ohio by state Gov. Mike DeWine — changes could be lurking around the corner.
Other conferences have already restricted access, while the Ivy League canceled its tournament altogether. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease recommended to Congress that the NBA bar fans from attending games, and all sport in Italy has been suspended until April.
In a press conference Wednesday, DeWine said that under forthcoming rules regarding mass gatherings, first-round games in the NCAA Tournament, scheduled to begin March 17 in Dayton, Ohio, and March 20 in Cleveland, will not have spectators, but members of the media are allowed. Details are limited, but the order is set to be issued in the next few days, DeWine said.
DeWine said the order on mass gatherings comes from a larger risk of contracting the virus in larger groups. For smaller events, DeWine said Ohioans should ask themselves if their attendance at the event is necessary and if there will be a great enough distance between others to not spread the disease.
Ohio State will play in front of a regular crowd in their Big Ten Tournament opener against Purdue Thursday, but redshirt junior guard CJ Walker said the Buckeyes aren’t phased by the possibility of playing in front of a mostly empty arena.
“We practice in front of zero people every day,” Walker said. “We love to play basketball. We do this every day, so I mean it would most definitely be different playing in an actual game with nobody there or a lot of people there, but we grind and work every day with nobody there when nobody’s watching.”
There are four confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ohio and six in Indiana, where Ohio State travels for its matchup against Purdue in the tournament Thursday, but the number of infections is now more than 1,000 in the U.S., with 29 deaths, according to updated information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at the time of publication.
Walker said the situation is “very concerning,” and head coach Chris Holtmann said the staff spoke with players Tuesday about specific measures it will employ to try to keep everyone safe and healthy.
“Unfortunately with fans right now, you may not want to shake hands. You may not want to sign things. It might not be in your best interest to do that,” Holtmann said.
Postgame media availabilities for the Big Ten Tournament will be moved from team locker rooms to larger areas in the arena, according to a statement from the Big Ten Conference Wednesday.
“We will continue to consult with Pacers Sports & Entertainment, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Marion County Public Health Department and the NCAA leading up to and during the event to implement best practices and provide the most current information,” the statement read.
The Mid-American Conference announced Tuesday in a statement that its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, taking place in Cleveland over the same time period, will not be open to the general public. Only institutional personnel, team party members, media and players’ family members will be permitted to attend, according to the release.
The Big West Conference released a statement Tuesday that its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be played without spectators this week.
A decision from the NCAA regarding its tournaments and events is expected to come “in the coming days,” according to a statement released Tuesday.
“The NCAA continues to assess how COVID-19 impacts the conduct of our tournaments and events. We are consulting with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel, who are leading experts in epidemiology and public health,” the statement reads.
Holtmann said the team isn’t changing anything about its travel methods, but that is subject to change once the team arrives in Indianapolis due to the fluid nature of the situation.
What will likely change is the coaches’ travel schedule for recruiting, which Holtmann said he received updates about Wednesday morning.
“There’ll continue to be some things that will really impact the NCAA Tournament,” Holtmann said.
The Big Ten Tournament begins at 6 p.m. between Minnesota and Northwestern Wednesday, with Ohio State slated for a 6:30 p.m. start against Purdue Thursday.
