The coronavirus is continuing to spread its impact on sports following the announcement that the NCAA Tournament will be played with no fans in attendance. Tournament games are currently expected to play as scheduled, but spectators will be limited to essential staff and family members.
Joining Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts to discuss the news on WFAN Wednesday afternoon was CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein."The whole dynamic for me, for the NCAA Tournament has completely changed," Rothstein told Joe and Evan. "It's not just that certain fans are not going to be able to go to the games, this changes how we may project the bracket to go out."
Rothstein also noted the impact playing Tournament games without fans will have on local teams, specifically Seton Hall University."Seton Hall has worked all season long to try and play its first two games in Albany and then come to the Garden to play in New York in the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8," Rothstein said, adding that without fans in the stands, the location is no longer a decisive advantage.
"We have seen the NCAA Tournament for years be captivating and electric with fan support changing everything," Rothstein told Joe and Evan. "Now we're literally going to be watching a scrimmage on television with referees, scorekeepers and a broadcast crew."
Roberts noted this being a unique year for the NCAA Tournament, and whether we look back a decade from now and view this as a smart or dumb decision, it's still going to be a season none of us will ever forget."We will never forget the 2020 NCAA Tournament" Rothstein strongly agreed. "It's obviously something that we're going to remember for the rest of our lives and it will be interesting to see how fan support or lack of fan support effects the amount of upsets we have."
Generally, in early round games, casual fans root for the underdog, but now only close relatives will be in the stands, creating the feel of an AAU game and changing the dynamic of the NCAA Tournament.
Click the audio player above to hear the full interview with Jon Rothstein
