Mountain West announces there will be no fans at league tourney
LARAMIE -- COVID-19 struck right after last March's Mountain West Tournament.
The pandemic is still affecting things a full calendar year later.
The conference announced Monday that the upcoming tourney from March 7-13 in Las Vegas will be held with no fans in attendance inside the Thomas & Mack Center.
“The health and well-being of our student-athletes and coaches are of vital importance," MW commissioner Craig Thompson said in a press release. "We are best able to provide a clean and controlled environment by only permitting those directly involved with the tournament’s conduct into the facility. It is also essential to protect the opportunity for those teams who are successful in advancing to compete in the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships according to the protocols established for those events.”
The coronavirus led to the cancelation of the entire 2020 NCAA Tournament. March Madness is scheduled to take place next month, but all 67 tournament games will take place in the state of Indiana. The National Championship game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis.
All Mountain West women's games will be carried on the league's streaming network aside from the championship game. That will air on CBS Sports Network. On the men's side, the opening rounds can be found online only. CBS Sports Network has the rights to the quarter and semifinals. CBS will air the March 13 title game.
"Given new information regarding variants of the coronavirus and the uncertainties involved, this is the most prudent course of action to mitigate risk to the most significant degree possible," the league's release states.
For the Mountain West's full release, click HERE.
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