Bomb Scare At Cox Arena Forces Evacuation, Delays NCAA Games

Bomb Scare Delays Start Of Marquette-Alabama Game

A bomb scare at Cox Arena in San Diego Thursday caused authorities to evacuate the arena before the Marquette-Alabama first round NCAA men’s basketball tournament game, delaying the start of the game for 70 minutes, according to Steve Springer of the L.A. TIMES. The alarm was issued around 9:40am PT, when the gates were scheduled to open to the public. A full sweep of the building ensued, and San Diego State Univ. campus police Lt. Robert McManus said that “nothing suspicious was discovered.” Members of the FBI, ATF, San Diego police and fire departments and the campus police were involved in the search (L.A. TIMES, 3/17). An estimated 2,000 people waited outside “until the ‘all clear’ was sounded about” at 11:15am. Fans were allowed into the arena 45 minutes later (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/17). In L.A., Ramona Shelburne reports there were no teams at the arena when it was evacuated. Alabama and Marquette, which were scheduled to tip at 11:40am, did not leave their hotels until 11:30am, and play began around 12:50pm. The NCAA opened an auxiliary gym near Cox Arena “for teams playing in the later games to warm up, because the schedule had been so altered” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 3/17).