By Andrew Rovit ‘22, Staff Writer

Last year, the world was sent into shock by the NCAA’s decision of the NCAA not to allow fans at the annual March Madness tournament as a precautionary measure due to the impending outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Little did they know that NCAA basketball would be the first of all major sports to both remove fans and cancel their season because of the pandemic. The decision to cancel this event, one of the most anticipated events in NCAA sports, ended up costing the NCAA about $375 million. Even with cases surging, the NCAA made it a priority to have this event happen at the conclusion of the 2021 season.

Early planning ensured that the tournament could happen this year while keeping the players, coaches, and staff safe and healthy. On January 4th, the NCAA announced that the entire 2021 tournament will be played in a bubble in Indiana. Most of the games will be played in Indianapolis, but a couple of games will also be played in Bloomington and West Lafayette. The tournament consists of 68 teams, so the NCAA has booked over 2,500 hotel rooms for the players, coaches, and staff for this upcoming spring. The Indiana Convention Center will serve as the home base for most of the practices and team meetings. Despite their active planning, the decision about fans coming to the games has not been made. Many medical experts believe that if fans are allowed to attend, the capacity will not exceed 25%.

There are still many details that need to be discussed in the near future. Many players are wondering if their families will be able to attend the games, how they will attend school, what the cancellation policy will be for games, and whether games will be rescheduled or forfeited. Hopefully these questions can be answered in the upcoming weeks so that the fans can have the opportunity to watch an amazing tournament while not risking the further spread of COVID-19.