Big Ten Conference cancels remaining tournament games
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Big Ten Conference has announced they are canceling the rest of their tournament games due to coronavirus.
The move announced Thursday goes into effect immediately.
The conference said they will begin working with medical experts and institutional leaders in order to figure out the appropriate next steps in regard to the pandemic.
The health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans and media is the conference’s biggest priority.
The conference did get one day of tournament games in Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Fans react to Big Ten cancellation
“We just got the news, like literally. My phone alerted, stated ‘Game starts in 15 minutes. The next thing my son texted saying the game’s been cancelled. They said they were taking him back to the locker room and the games were cancelled.” Kimberly Werts-Mathis of Joppa, Maryland explained to News 8.
“I am so heartbroken. I just feel so despondent at this point. I’m so disappointed for the young men.” Werts-Mathis and her family drove 9 hours, from Maryland to see her son play in the Big Ten Conference tournament.
Gabe Jones and his family came all the way from Central Iowa.
“Crazy. Me and my friend were looking forward to it for months.” Gabe Jones of State Center, Iowa explained Thursday.
There are signs on the doors at Bankers Life Fieldhouse alerting fans of today’s announcement cancelling the rest of the tournament becvause of the coronavirus.
“I wasn’t surprised honestly. Just given how the trend has been over the last couple days of everything getting cancelled. It’s disappointing but I understand it, I guess.” Kevin Sieg of Columbus, Ohio explained.
“I’m very glad that it was cancelled. I didn’t want the boys to be exposed to anything they didn’t need to be exposed to.” Angela Livers of Kalamazoo, Michigan explained to News 8 Thursday.
News 8 saw a Big Ten merchandise retailer packing things up to leave.
Signs out front promise fans the Big Ten Conference will refund all tickets purchased for the 2020 Men’s basketball tournament.
Werts-Mathis and family are headed back Maryland much sooner than expected.