A-10 bans fans from conference tournament due to coronavirus

Noah Fleischman, Sports Editor

The Atlantic 10 announced Wednesday night that the conference tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn will be played without fans in attendance due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus. 

COVID-19, a member of the coronavirus similar to the SARS and MERS viral outbreaks, was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on Wednesday. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 900 confirmed and presumed positive cases in the U.S.

“Although this was a difficult decision it’s imperative that the Atlantic 10 act in the best interest of our student-athletes, teams and member institutions,” said Bernadette McGlade, A-10 commissioner, in a statement. “This a very unique and serious situation given the global impact of COVID-19, and as disappointing as this is for our fans and spectators, this decision had to be made.”

The decision follows those made by the NCAA and other conferences — ACC, Big 10 and Pac-12 — who will also play without fans at their tournaments. The NBA’s Golden State Warriors also announced that they will not allow fans into their next game at home due to the outbreak.

According to the A-10’s release, those allowed into the arena for the games are: teams, network television, working media, essential personnel, and team affiliated families and guests.

No. 9 VCU plays No. 8 UMass in the Second Round of the A-10 tournament at noon on Thursday.