The first-round NCAA tournament game between Virginia Commonwealth and Oregon scheduled for Saturday was canceled due to a coronavirus outbreak affecting VCU.
The unprecedented cancelation allowed for the Ducks to advance to the second round of the tournament.
VCU head coach Mike Rhoades told reporters that the program had received "multiple positive tests" in the past two days, despite being tested every day for the past three weeks.
The NCAA said the fateful decision was made in coordination with local health officials in Indianapolis, which is hosting the men's tournament in a bubble setting.
"The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee has declared the VCU-Oregon game scheduled for Saturday night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols," the NCAA's statement read. "This decision was made in consultation with the Marion County Public Health Department."
The league and the tournament committee said it was unfortunate for the VCU coaches and players, who had "earned the right to participate."
"As a result, Oregon will advance to the next round of the tournament. The NCAA and the committee regret that VCU's student-athletes and coaching staff will not be able to play in a tournament in which they earned the right to participate. Because of privacy issues we cannot provide further details."
It was unclear how the virus had spread, or who was affected. The NCAA declined to elaborate, citing privacy issues.
In order for teams to be permitted into the bubble, all players and personnel had to test negative for seven consecutive days, ESPN reported. Once in the bubble, teams are tested daily, the report said.
The testing protocols were designed so that teams could continue playing in the event of one or two positives, according to ESPN, suggesting that the outbreak may have been widespread.
"This is tremendously disappointing and heartbreaking for the student-athletes who've worked so hard for this opportunity," Atlantic 10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a statement. "During this pandemic, the medical advisory boards have the authority to make this decision for the safety and welfare all of the student-athletes, staff and teams."
Oregon was set to play the winner of Iowa-Grand Canyon in the second round.