Topline
Several high-profile college basketball games have been cancelled due to teamwide Covid-19 outbreaks as coronavirus continues to ravage sports.
A rash of Covid-induced cancellations have hit college basketball this week.
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Key Facts
Multiple Covid cases involving the Ohio State men’s basketball program, which is ranked 15th by the Associated Press, forced the cancellation of its matchup with No. 21 Kentucky, according to a statement from the team.
No. 4 UCLA cancelled its Wednesday night contest less than an hour before it was scheduled to start, citing “Covid-19 protocols.”
No. 16 Seton Hall will reportedly cancel its Saturday game against Iona due to Covid-19 protocols.
Top women’s college basketball also grappled with outbreaks: No. 19 Kentucky and No. 25 North Carolina both had weekday games knocked off the schedule due to Covid-19 issues on opposing teams.
Key Background
This week has been a grim reminder of the difficulties of maintaining a normal sports schedule amid the pandemic. After English Premier League players and personnel returned a record-high number of positive Covid-19 tests, nine fixtures were postponed and multiple unnamed league sources told ESPN that several teams are pushing for a two-week shutdown of the league. The National Football League similarly is dealing with record Covid-19 cases among players but has yet to postpone or cancel any games. The National Basketball League and National Hockey League both announced Covid-induced game delays earlier this week and are dealing with multiple teamwide outbreaks.
Tangent
This week’s cancellations evoke unpleasant memories for the NCAA of the financial fallout stemming from the widespread disruptions during the early days of the pandemic. The NCAA missed out on $600 million of revenue when the 2020 men’s basketball tournament was cancelled, according to financial records viewed by USA Today.
Further Reading
Here’s How The NBA, NFL, NHL And EPL Are Handling Record Covid-19 Outbreaks (Forbes)
College basketball COVID-19 cases: Live updates as UCLA cancels game, Duke finds a replacement game (The Athletic)
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