Saturday’s first-round match between No. 7 Oregon and No. 10 VCU has been declared a non-match due to COVID-19 protocols within the VCU program, the NCAA announced.
Oregon will automatically advance to the second round.
“The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee has stated that the VCU-Oregon game scheduled for Saturday night at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum is a no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols,” the NCAA statement said. This decision was made in consultation with the Marion County Public Health Department.
As a result, Oregon will advance to the next round of the tournament. The NCAA and the committee regret that the student athletes and the VCU coaching staff will not be able to play in a tournament in which they have the right to participate. privacy issues we cannot provide further details. “
This is the first NCAA tournament game to be canceled or declared a non-match due to issues with COVID-19. The NCAA made the deadline for substitute teams to enter the field on Tuesday night; no teams had problems at the time.
To get into the controlled environment of the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis, teams had to show seven consecutive days of negative COVID-19 tests. Once in Indianapolis, teams are tested daily.
NCAA senior VP of basketball Dan Gavitt said ahead of the NCAA tournament that a team can continue to play in the tournament as long as it has five “eligible and healthy” players. The NCAA tournament contact tracking and other COVID-19 protocols were expected to prevent a team from having to withdraw because of one or two positive tests.
“This is hugely disappointing and heartbreaking for the student athletes who have worked so hard for this opportunity,” Bernadette V. McGlade, Atlantic 10 Commissioner, said in a statement. “During this pandemic, the medical advisory councils have the authority to make this decision for the safety and well-being of all student athletes, staff and teams.
“VCU has had an excellent year and this setback does not affect their performance.”
Oregon plays the winner of No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Grand Canyon.