The Big Sky Conference announced the cancellation of the men’s and women’s basketball tournament due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
After the NBA announced it would postpone its season and all the power five conferences cancelled their conference tournaments, it seemed inevitable that the Big Sky would follow suit.
Here’s the conference’s official statement:
“The Big Sky Conference will cancel the remainder of its 2020 Basketball Championships, beginning with the men’s quarterfinals scheduled for Thursday (March 12), the conference office announced today.
The Big Sky Presidents’ Council convened Thursday morning and voted to move forward in this manner.
“This decision was not made lightly, as we know how meaningful our basketball championships is to our student-athletes, coaches, alumni, and fans,” Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “After consulting with medical experts, local authorities, and the leadership of our institutions, we feel that this decision is prudent given the health and well-being of all involved.
“‘We would be remiss not to acknowledge all of our local partners who helped us increase the interest in and attendance at our tournament this year, and we look forward to welcoming those fans back when we return to Boise in March 2021.”
The Big Sky and CenturyLink Arena will announce a refund policy soon and will contact fans who purchased tickets for the games that have been canceled.”
The conference has not announced its plans for other spring athletic seasons, and more information is expected in the coming days.
Mass cancellations from other conferences may point to a cancellation of the NCAA tournament, given that no conference champions will be crowned this weekend.
ESPN’s characterization of the virus reads as follows:
“For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the virus. According to the WHO, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.”
SUU News will release more information as it becomes available.
Story by: Connor Sanders
sports@suunews.net
