https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...of-2020-ncaa-tournament-over-coronavirus/amp/
The 2020 NCAA Tournament is not going to be played over concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but there is still a chance an official bracket for the field of 68 could be released by the NCAA.
NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told CBS Sports on Friday that the NCAA has not yet completely killed the idea of putting together a 68-team bracket for the purposes of an official recognition of the 2019-20 men's Division I basketball season. While far from a sure thing, it's still on the table -- offering hope to coaches and players across the country that they could at least potentially get formal recognition for the work they put into their seasons over the past five-plus months.
"We're hearing today there's interest from coaches and athletic directors from that," Gavitt said. "I wouldn't say we've shut down the idea completely, but there is, practically speaking, it's a bit challenging at this moment. ... There's pluses and minuses to any decision. If you put the field together, you could have teams, depending on that conference's policy, would not be the most obvious choice as the [automatic qualifier]. It's something we're going to continue to look at.
"This has been so fast, so emotional, we'll continue to think on it a little bit."
Gavitt's comments come after high-profile coaches such as Bruce Pearl, Bobby Hurley, Kelvin Sampson and others have lobbied for a release of the bracket.
The 2020 NCAA Tournament is not going to be played over concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but there is still a chance an official bracket for the field of 68 could be released by the NCAA.
NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told CBS Sports on Friday that the NCAA has not yet completely killed the idea of putting together a 68-team bracket for the purposes of an official recognition of the 2019-20 men's Division I basketball season. While far from a sure thing, it's still on the table -- offering hope to coaches and players across the country that they could at least potentially get formal recognition for the work they put into their seasons over the past five-plus months.
"We're hearing today there's interest from coaches and athletic directors from that," Gavitt said. "I wouldn't say we've shut down the idea completely, but there is, practically speaking, it's a bit challenging at this moment. ... There's pluses and minuses to any decision. If you put the field together, you could have teams, depending on that conference's policy, would not be the most obvious choice as the [automatic qualifier]. It's something we're going to continue to look at.
"This has been so fast, so emotional, we'll continue to think on it a little bit."
Gavitt's comments come after high-profile coaches such as Bruce Pearl, Bobby Hurley, Kelvin Sampson and others have lobbied for a release of the bracket.
