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Sun Belt cancels remaining Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship games

Posted at 10:43 AM, Mar 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-12 12:38:21-04

UPDATE: The Sun Belt Conference has canceled remaining games of the 2020 Sun Belt Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships

Read their statement below:

"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."

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The Sun Belt Conference says that due to concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19) the semifinal and championship games of the 2020 Sun Belt Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will not be open to spectators.

On Thursday, the Sun Belt Conference released a statement saying that it will conduct the semifinal and championship games set for March 14-15 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans with only student-athletes, coaches, essential staff, officials, broadcast network staffs, credentialed media and limited immediate family members of the participating teams present.

UL Lafayette's women's basketball teams will be affected by the change with there game this weekend.

A release states that the Sun Belt and the Smoothie King Center will continue to take precautionary measures and follow the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for those in attendance, including, discouraging high-risk individuals from attending tournament games, even if they meet the attendance exception.

In addition, the Conference and the Smoothie King Center will continue to be proactive during tournament games by taking the following measures:

• Conducting frequent cleaning and sanitizing of common areas, team locker rooms, and media areas.
• Providing information from the CDC on ways to stop the spread of the virus will be posted throughout the Arena.
• Announcing reminders through our video board and public address announcer to maintain social distance, wash hands regularly, and utilize the hand sanitizer stations throughout the facility.
• Keeping locker rooms closed to credential media covering the games.
• Ensuring emergency medical services will continue to be on site for any medical concerns.

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The SEC has announced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2020 Men's Basketball Tournament in Nashville.

Officials say that the continued spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and latest development have prompted the cancellation. The SEC basketball tournament started on Wednesday, March 12, 2020.