NCAA men’s basketball tournament to be held in one location, with Indianapolis likely

The 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will be held in one geographic area, as opposed to rounds taking place all over the country, the NCAA announced Monday.

The NCAA is in preliminary talks with Indianapolis to host the entire 68-team tournament. Indianapolis was already scheduled to host the Final Four.

Holding the tournament in one location will cut down on cross-country travel, which is seen as a risk during the coronavirus pandemic. There had originally been 13 preliminary round sites, beginning in Dayton, Ohio on March 16. The other sites span from San Jose, California, to Providence, Rhode Island.

“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,” NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball Dan Gavitt said in a release. “However, we are developing a solid plan to present a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we’ve experienced.”

The end of the 2019-20 basketball season was cut short due to the pandemic, with the NCAA tournament and most conference championships canceled. Indianapolis held the Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, however the men’s tournament was canceled after only two games.

At the time, Chris Gahl, the senior marketing and communications vice president of Visit Indy, wrote in a statement that the Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball tournaments were expected to “generate more than $15 million in economic impact.”

Moving the 2021 NCAA tournament to one location will cut out the financial boost cities across the country receive from traveling fans — although there’s no given fans would have been able to attend those games.

“My committee colleagues and I did not come lightly to the difficult decision to relocate the preliminary rounds of the 2021 tournament, as we understand the disappointment 13 communities will feel to miss out on being part of March Madness next year,” Mitch Barnhart said in a release, the chair of the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and University of Kentucky athletic director. “With the University of Kentucky slated to host first- and second-round games in March, this is something that directly impacts our school and community, so we certainly share in their regret. The committee and staff deeply appreciate the efforts of all the host institutions and conferences, and we look forward to bringing the tournament back to the impacted sites in future years.”

With the way last season ended — with disjointed decisions from different conferences and last-minute decisions as to how to approach the coronavirus response — the NCAA is getting out ahead of any tournament complications this time.

But there’s still a long way to go until March. With colleges set to begin play at the end of November, there are still many unknowns revolving around the season.

“The committee and staff have thoughtfully monitored the pandemic to develop potential contingency plans,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a release. “The Board of Governors and my top priorities are to protect the health and well-being of college athletes while also maintaining their opportunity to compete at the highest level. These principles have guided the decision-making process as we continue to assess how to have a fair and safe championship experience.”