Covid prevented last year’s NCAA tourneys. Now organizers have plans for a successful Big Dance

Will the tournament have the same number of teams this year?

What if a school has to drop out?

If a team that is a conference champion and the only representative in the league cannot play, it will be replaced by another conference team.

If a team from a multi-bid conference cannot play, it will be replaced by a team that was among the top four teams that the tournament selection committee set aside.

Once the games begin, if the teams cannot throw five players, they are out and their opponents receive free passes in the next round.

It is unclear what would happen if one of the Final Four teams has an outbreak.

Do players stay and play in a bubble?

The NCAA doesn’t call it a bubble, but all tournament games are played in Indiana. Most of the games are in Indianapolis, where many players and coaches will stay in hotels connected to training venues and a skywalks track.

Other games are short bus trips to the sands of the Purdue University and Indiana University campuses.

When the teams do not play, the teams will be mostly isolated from their floors in the hotel. Players will eat in their rooms or in a room where people are at least six meters apart.

How often will team members be tested?

People who are completely vaccinated within two weeks or who have had the virus and are within 90 days of infection will not have to get tested every day.

What will happen if a player gives a positive?

A player who has a positive test will be considered positive and will be isolated, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Dan said this past week. All players will have a tracking device that can indicate who the athlete has had contact with. The isolated player will do a second test: a PCR test, which uses a nasal sample. If this is also positive, the player will remain isolated. A negative test result would lead to a third test, another PCR test.

Will there be fans in the stands?

“This year’s tournament will be like no other and while we know it won’t be the same for anyone, we look forward to offering a memorable experience for students-athletes, coaches and once-in-a-tournament fans from all over. life, ”Gavitt said.

All attendees – families and fans of players and coaches – must wear facials and maintain physical distance. In January, nearly 15,000 people attended the Division I football title game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

“As we try to continue to engage fans during the men’s Final Four, we want to have an impact beyond improving the atmosphere on the venue,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said.

Did you say all games are in one state?

These are the scenarios that will be used in the tournament:

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, with a capacity of approximately 18,000

Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, 9,100

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, 70,000

Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, 6,800

Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, 14,222

Simon Skjodt Auditorium, Bloomington, 17,222

How does the schedule differ?

Did you take off on Thursday to sit in front of the TV from noon to midnight watching games? This year, the play-in games, called the first four, will be played on Thursday instead of a Tuesday. The good news is that Friday will still be full of games.

The game days of the first two weekends have changed this year, but the schedule for the Final Four is the same as in recent years:

Are there any teams or players that don’t go to the tournament?

Several teams had to abandon their conference tournaments due to positive tests.

The University of Virginia, technically the reigning champion because it won the 2019 test, and the University of Kansas will have to prove seven days of positive testing to be eligible to play.

What about the women’s tournament?

The schedule is also different from previous years, as the first round will start next Sunday. This year there will be initial matches on Tuesday and Wednesday. The championship contest is scheduled for April 4th.