Photo Courtesy: The Nation
With Covid-19 still lingering around the United States, multiple concerns about the NCAA cancelling the men’s and women’s March Madness tournament for the second-straight year.
However, the NCAA announced in January that March Madness would resume in 2021, with Indianapolis being the host city. All 64 men’s and women’s squads would be in a bubble environment under strict protocols.
Fast forward to the present, with the Sweet Sixteen kicking off for the men’s tournament, and the round of 32 wrapping up for the women. It’s safe to say the NCAA has handled the pandemic perfectly.
When the announcement was first made that the coveted tournament would be returning, there were many speculations that it would not be able to finish. It’s difficult to house 64 men’s teams and 64 women’s teams in one city alone. When you add an ongoing pandemic into the equation, it’s a whole other beast. However, the NCAA has made certain that every player, coach, trainer, and faculty member would be in a safe environment.
Along with the frequent tests and temperature checks, one of the most important things the NCAA has enforced is contract tracing. Each player and staff member has to wear a chip that senses their location. If that person becomes infected with the virus, the NCAA can look at their chip and see where that person has been within the past 48 hours. This helps with pulling others into quarantine and preventing other teams from being infected.
One player from Michigan University, Adrien Nunez, posted about the ankle chips on his famous Tik Tok channel. Nunez’s channel has just under one million followers, with his views averaging anywhere from 55,000 to over one million. Nunez, along with several other players from Michigan, received an ankle bracelet. If someone were to get too close to Nunez, the bracelet would beep, alerting that person to socially distance themselves. Nunez has also given his fans a glance at other strict protocols, including the limits on where people can go outside of the bubble and the times players can leave their hotel rooms.
Social distancing has also been a huge component to the success of these tournaments. Players and personnel must be six feet apart at all times, even while on the benches during games. When working out, each team has an allotted time in the weight room, with the machines being spread out across the floor. Dining centers and other congregation areas are also spread out to allow for social distancing. These precautions prevent any risks of infection between teams. The ankle monitors enforced by the NCAA also notify staff when players are breaking the social distancing protocols.
If Covid-19 becomes out-of-hand for any team within the two tournaments, the NCAA has made a strict set of guidelines to follow. One of the most important, as previously mentioned, is to quarantine the infected team. This came into effect in the men’s round of 64. Virginia Commonwealth University was scheduled to play the University of Oregon. However, VCU had a small Covid-19 outbreak within the team, forcing them into quarantine. This caused a spiral of other events to occur, ultimately leading to the cancelation of the contest. Oregon got a bye and defeated the University of Iowa in the round of 32.
This move was executed perfectly by the NCAA. While many say that it gave Oregon an unfair advantage in the next round and it unfairly eliminated VCU from the tournament, the NCAA did what was best for the health and safety of its personnel. No Oregon players tested positive as a result of the VCU outbreak, and no other teams were affected in terms of health. If the game played as scheduled, it could’ve put Oregon and the rest of the tournament in danger. The move may not have been a fan-favorite, but it certainly was the best choice.
As the tournaments continue, the NCAA is maintaining its strict guidelines for all players and staff. Even though teams are being eliminated, it doesn’t mean they will lighten the restrictions. Every guideline is to be followed until all teams leave the bubble.
The NCAA has so far made these tournaments a huge success, and at the pace they are going at currently, it’s almost safe to say that the men and women will both finish as scheduled.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcomed. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Anna Proulx aproulx@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu