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NCAA in 'preliminary talks' to host entire 2021 men's basketball tournament in Indy

Posted at 11:02 AM, Nov 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-16 14:31:36-05

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA is in preliminary talks with state and city officials to host the entire 68-team men’s basketball tournament in Indianapolis in the spring, the organization said.

Indianapolis was already slated to host the Men’s Final Four from April 3-5, 2021.

It is unclear if fans will be allowed to attend the games.

“We have learned so much from monitoring other successful sporting events in the last several months, and it became clear it’s not feasible to manage this complex championship in so many different states with the challenges presented by the pandemic,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball. “However, we are developing a solid plan to present a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we’ve experienced.”

The NCAA said the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee emphasized the importance of conducting the tournament in a manageable geographic area that limits travel and provides an environment with competition and practice venues, medical resources and lodging for teams and officials all near each another.

This story originally reported on WRTV.com.