Troy University Athletics
Sun Belt Conference Cancels Basketball Tournament
3/12/2020 9:51:00 AM | General, Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. – The Sun Belt Conference announced at 11:30 a.m. Thursday the cancellation of the 2020 Sun Belt Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament scheduled to be held at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
After a 10:30 a.m. announcement from conference officials stated that the tournament would be played without fans, the league later followed suit with a majority of conferences from around the country to take precautionary measures and cancel the remainder of the 2020 Sun Belt Basketball Tournament.
Sun Belt Conference Statement - 11:30 a.m.
After further discussion with the Presidents and Chancellors and Directors of Athletics and mounting concerns surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Sun Belt Conference has decided to cancel the remaining games of the 2020 Sun Belt Men's and Women's Basketball Championships scheduled for March 14-15 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Sun Belt Conference Statement - 10:30 a.m.
The Sun Belt Conference has announced that it will conduct the remainder of its 2020 Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments with only student‐athletes, coaches, essential staff, credentialed media, broadcasted television and limited family members of the participating teams.
The Conference and the Smoothie King Center will continue to take precautionary measures and follow the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention for those in attendance, including, discouraging high‐risk individuals from attending the tournament even if they meet the attendance exception. In addition, the Conference and the Smoothie King Center will continue to be proactive throughout the tournament by taking the following measures:
- Frequent cleaning and sanitizing of common areas, team locker rooms and media areas.
- Information from the CDC on ways to stop the spread of the virus will be posted throughout the Arena.
- Reminders throughout the tournament through our videoboard and public address announcer to maintain social distance, wash hands regularly and utilize the hand sanitizer stations throughout the Arena.
- Locker rooms will remain closed to the media.
Emergency medical services will continue to be on site for any medical concerns. The Smoothie King Center in New Orleans will host the semifinals and the finals of the Sun Belt Conference's Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15.
The Sun Belt apologizes for any inconvenience that this decision has caused for our fans. However, we feel that this choice will allow us to ensure the health and safety of our students, coaches and staff.
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