NCAA basketball tournaments canceled in response to coronavirus outbreak

The NCAA has canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"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," NCAA President Mark Emmert said.

With the tournament less than a week away, the NCAA had been looking into alternative plans to keep the disease from spreading at its games. The tournament was scheduled to begin March 17 in Dayton, Ohio.

Some teams had already canceled their plans to travel for games as a precautionary measure.

The announcement comes hours after MLB, MLS and NHL announced delays and suspensions of their seasons.