NCAA Championships Cancelled

At 3:07 (CDT), the NCAA announced that the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, slated to take place next week, March 19-21, in Minneapolis, Minn., are among the winter and spring championships that have been cancelled over concerns with the coronavirus.

The following from Stacey Osborn, the NCAA Director of Communications:

“Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.”

This also includes the NCAA Division II and Division III Championships, which were slated to take place in Sioux Falls, S.D., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, respectively, this Friday and Saturday, March 13-14.

The NCAA had announced yesterday that event would go on but only family and officials would be allowed to attend.

This marks the first time since 1943-45 — because of World War II — that there will not be an NCAA Wrestling championship.

Tom Brands, the head coach of Iowa, which was favored to win this year’s tournament made the following statement:

“Our coaching staff is disappointed for our guys, their families, and our fans. I understand the Big Ten Conference and NCAA made decisions based on information available and are acting in what they believe is in the best interest of the student-athletes. We will process this and move forward, as we always do. Our guys have a lot to be proud of and much more still to accomplish.”