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Saturday’s first-round game between the No.7 Oregon and No.10 VCU was declared without a competition due to COVID-19 protocols in the VCU program, the NCAA has announced.
Oregon automatically goes to the second round.
“The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee declared the VCU-Oregon game scheduled for Saturday night at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum as a no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols,” the NCAA statement read. “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 VCU student-athletes and coaching staff cannot participate in a tournament in which they have earned the right to participate. due to privacy concerns, we are unable to provide further details. “
This is the first NCAA tournament game canceled or declared without a competition due to COVID-19 concerns. The NCAA made its deadline Tuesday for replacement teams to enter the field; neither team had any problems at that time.
In order to enter the controlled environment of the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis, teams had to show seven consecutive days of negative COVID-19 tests. Once in Indianapolis, the teams undergo daily testing.
NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said ahead of the NCAA tournament that a team can continue to play in the tournament as long as they have five “eligible and healthy” players. NCAA tournament contact tracing and other COVID-19 protocols were expected to prevent a team from withdrawing due to one or two positive tests.
“It is extremely disappointing and heartbreaking for the student-athletes who have worked so hard for this opportunity,” Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a statement. “During this pandemic, medical advisory committees have the power to make this decision for the safety and well-being of all student-athletes, staff and teams.
“VCU has had an exceptional year, and this setback does not diminish any of its accomplishments.”
Oregon will face the winner of No.2 Iowa vs. No.15 Grand Canyon.
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