Having teams quarantine may force the NCAA Tournament to be played in a bubbleGETTY IMAGES
NCAA Senior VP/Basketball Dan Gavitt said that recent spikes of COVID-19 have "influenced the NCAA's thinking" regarding the '21 NCAA Tournament and it potentially being "played in a bubble," according to Jon Rothstein of COLLEGEHOOPSTODAY.com. Gavitt said, "The contingency planning for the NCAA Tournament right now is just as significant as it was for the regular season." Rothstein noted while college basketball is "set to begin on Nov. 25," many obstacles "continue to be at the forefront of the sport." The CDC's mandatory 14-day quarantine when one player tests positive for COVID-19 has "been a major hurdle," as several programs have "already had to pause their respective workouts." Gavitt regarding the 14-day quarantine said, "We're hopeful that may evolve during the season. I don't anticipate there's going to be a change before the season begins." Rothstein noted many coaches and people of influence in college basketball feel that this is one of the "biggest obstacles in the way of getting enough games in for the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to seed" the '21 tournament, as the NCAA is "requiring teams to play a total of 13 games to be eligible for the bracket." It is "another reason why many believe that the only surefire way to play the field of 68 next March may be in a bubble" (COLLEGEHOOPSTODAY.com, 10/29).
