NCAA to allow up to 25% fan capacity at March Madness games
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A limited number of fans will be allowed for all rounds of the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball championship.
Up to 25% capacity will be allowed for all rounds, including the Final Four.
“We continue to use the knowledge we have gained over the season on how to conduct games in a safe environment,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement issued Friday. “I want to thank our host universities and conferences, the Indiana State Health Department, and the leaders in the Marion, Monroe and Tippecanoe county health departments as they help make that possible.”
The entire tournament — all 67 games — will happen in Indiana. Games are to start March 18.
Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse — all in Indianapolis — plus Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington will host the games. Indy was previously scheduled to host the Final Four before the decision was made to move the entire tournament to Indiana.
Assembly Hall says it will host 500 fans. The totals for other venues were not immediately available Friday.
Attendees must wear face masks and use social distancing.
Essential staff and family members of players and coaches will also be allowed in attendance.
In January, News 8 reported that nearly 3,000 hotel rooms were placed on hold in Indianapolis in preparation for the tournament.
Additionally, the entire 2021 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament was moved from Chicago to Indianapolis.
With some fans allowed at March Madness games, businesses in Downtown Indianapolis say they’re looking forward to welcoming more customers.
“I’m glad that we’re starting to get some rational decisions being made about fans being able to come to games,” said Brian Shapiro, owner of Shapiro’s Delicatessen.
Shapiro says fans are needed. He says there aren’t enough people downtown to support its restaurants.
“It is great news because when they have no fans there is no business,” Shapiro said. “There’s no extra business and, because downtown Indianapolis doesn’t have enough residential people living, there’s not a big enough community to support the restaurants and hospitality industry in the downtown.”
“Anything and everything is way better than what we’ve been having,” said Steve Geisler, owner of Tavern on South. “So each weekend when we have an event downtown, it’s just way better than what we’ve been dealing with for the past, really, 11 months.”
Geisler says even though they’re excited they’re also trying to figure out how to prepare.
“Generally, day to day, we’re only at 20% of our normal revenues or level of business, so now all of a sudden you ramp up for a short time and you’ve got to figure out staffing and everything else that goes along with the variables of having a big event next door,” the Tavern on South owner said.
Patrick T. Tamm, president and chief executive officer of the Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association, said Indianapolis has had plenty of practice with crowds visiting the downtown during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’ve been hosting successfully a lot of youth sports events and a lot of unique events during this time; nowhere near what we normally did, but we have been doing it in a completely different environment.”
Tamm added that the NCAA’s announcement to allow some fans brings a great deal of excitement to the state’s hospitality industry, but also adds to the pressure to keep everyone safe. “That places an additional level of scrutiny, one that we welcome, in terms of best practices of all of our public venues as well as all public accommodation spaces, which include restaurants, hotels, retail … all of those spaces we need to make sure that we continue to be diligent.”
Indiana State Department of Health reported Friday that 44 more Hoosiers died of COVID-19, for a total of 11,898. ISDH also says 866,680 Hoosiers have received the first of two doses of their vaccinations, and 402,792 Hoosiers are fully vaccinated.
Statements
“The Marion County Public Health Department agrees with the decision made by the NCAA on the suggested limitation of spectators, up to 25% capacity at host venues with the understanding that there will be strict requirements for masks and social distancing, for the 2021 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship as outlined in today’s announcement.
“Marion County has followed state and national trends in seeing significant decreases in the COVID-19 positivity rate in recent weeks. While this is good news, we must all continue to be vigilant. By requiring the wearing of masks, physical distancing, and with comprehensive COVID-19 testing, monitoring and other health safety protocols in place, the NCAA believes they can provide a safe environment for athletes and team staff.
“We will continue to monitor COVID-19 data, and – as a group – make any adjustments to protocols as necessary leading up to tip-off. Protecting the health of everyone involved is our top priority.”
Dr. Virginia A. Caine, director and chief medical officer of the Marion County Public Health Department
Today’s welcome announcement is a testament to months of planning by the NCAA and local public health and civic partners. We’re excited to safely welcome fans and showcase why Indianapolis is the best host city in the country, no matter the challenge.”
Mayor Joe Hogsett on Twitter
“IMPD has a history of planning for large scale events and executing those plans to keep participants and fans safe. We had an extensive plan in place before this announcement. The plan was scalable as we anticipated the potential for fans to be allowed. We will continue to coordinate with NCAA and our public safety partners as the tournament approaches.”
A spokesperson for Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department