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INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA will host the entire 2021 Men’s Basketball Championship in Indiana, with the majority of the tournament’s 67 games taking place in Indianapolis. Selection Sunday is still scheduled for March 14, and the Final Four is scheduled to take place on April 3 and 5, with exact preliminary round dates to be determined.
“This is a historic moment for the members of the NCAA and for the state of Indiana,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert. “We have worked tirelessly to reinvent a tournament structure that maintains our unique championship opportunity for varsity athletes. The reality of today’s announcement was made possible by the extraordinary leadership of our members, local authorities and staff.
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The NCAA is working in partnership with a local health care provider to administer COVID-19 tests in a controlled environment for players, coaches, administrators and officials. The Marion County Department of Health has approved the medical protocols shared by the NCAA and will continue to work with the NCAA before and during the championship.
The tournament will be hosted by Ball State, Butler, the Horizon League, Indiana, Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis and Purdue, who are loaning their facilities and staff to assist in tournament operations. The Indiana Convention Center will be used as a practice center, with several courts installed within the venue. Marriott Properties, an official partner of the NCAA, will host most of the tournament teams. The properties are connected to the convention center via walkways and in a controlled environment. All teams will be accommodated in dedicated hotel floors, with physically distant meeting and catering facilities, as well as secure transportation to and from competition venues.
The matches will be played on two courts inside Lucas Oil Stadium, as well as Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Only one game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium at a time.
CBS Sports and Turner Sports will continue to distribute all 67 tournament games on TBS, CBS, TNT, truTV and their digital platforms.
“The 2021 version of March Madness is going to be a big pick, if only for the uniqueness of the event,” said NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt. “Under the leadership of the Men’s Basketball Committee, we are making the most of the circumstances that the global pandemic has presented. We are fortunate to have neighbors and partners in Indianapolis and the surrounding communities who not only love basketball as much as anyone in the country, but who have a rich history of major sporting events.
“It’s going to be complicated and difficult; there is no doubt about it. We value the collaboration between the men’s basketball committee and staff, our local hosts and organizers, the staff at each training and competition venue, and our broadcast and corporate partners. We’re all going to come together and have a great national championship.
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The NCAA is keeping a close watch on the ongoing pandemic and will continue to work with local officials to determine the feasibility of having fans attend games at one of the venues, although a limited number of student families- athletes and coaches of each participating team are allowed. to attend their team’s matches. Details on whether other tickets will be awarded will be finalized at a later date, as will any decisions regarding fan events.
The NCAA is also working with the city and state to promote “Mask Madness,” an initiative to promote health and safety by practicing social distancing and wearing a mask. As part of this program, the NCAA will donate thousands of masks statewide leading up to the tournament.
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