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UPDATES: NCAA Championships CANCELED, All UCF Sports Suspended Due to COVID-19

Get the latest news below

Stanford v Central Florida Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

The outbreak of Coronovirus is now taking its toll on UCF Knights events, and updates are taking place quickly. UCF has just announced that classes will move to online instruction when students come back from Spring Break, effective March 16th.

It’s quite clear that UCF’s spring sports are now in danger of seeing their seasons at least truncated depending on events.

We’ve got the latest below.


Thursday, March 12

4:20 p.m. ET - THE NCAA HAS CANCELED ALL WINTER AND SPRING SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

No NCAA Basketball Tournaments, no College World Series, no nothing.

It’s all over.


4 p.m. ET - THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HAS SUSPENDED ALL SPRING SPORTS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

It’s all shut down.

Per UCF: “UCF athletic teams will be permitted to hold practices and team activities but will not travel or participate in competition.”

Statement from the conference:


2:45 p.m. ET - UCF head basketball coach Johnny Dawkins releases a statement:


2:40 p.m. ET - UCF Volleyball head coach Todd Dagenais announces his team is canceling its spring matches scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday.


12:30 p.m. ET - Per Glen Guilbeau, LSU beatwriter for USA Today, the SEC is canceling all athletic events through March 30th. This would include UCF Softball’s series with Ole Miss, scheduled for this coming weekend.


12:15 p.m. ET - UCF announces practices and games will continue as scheduled but no fans will be allowed to attend.

Per the release:

At this time, there is no recommendation to entirely cancel UCF athletics events. We will continue to provide updates as they become available.

UCF plans to continue its athletic competition and practice schedules—however beginning today spectators will no longer be permitted at upcoming Knights’ home athletic contests. Only student-athletes, coaches, essential event and administrative staff, television partners, credentialed media and immediate family members of participants will be permitted to attend home events. No determination has been made on how long this policy will be in effect. UCF will continue to provide updates as available.

On ticket refunds:

Refunds for fans who have purchased single game tickets to upcoming sporting events, beginning with the baseball games against Yale this weekend will be automatically refunded in the next 7-10 business days. Refunds for additional upcoming events will be refunded within 7-10 business days after the scheduled event date, assuming the event is cancelled. UCF will work with season ticket holders at the end of the regular season to determine the impact and offer a partial refund. Fans with questions may contact the UCF ticket office at 407-823-1000 or tickets@athletics.ucf.edu.

On stuff still happening:

Fans can continue to follow the Knights home contests via live streaming at UCFKnights.tv, Twitch channels ucfknightstv1 and ucfknightstv2.


Noon ET - The Big Ten and SEC have followed suit and also canceled their postseason tournaments.

As has Conference USA:

And the Big 12, Pac-12, MAC, WAC and Atlantic 10.


11:45 a.m. ET - The American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament is officially canceled.

Statement from the league:

UCF finishes its season 16-14.


Wednesday, March 11

9:05 p.m. ET - UCF announces its baseball series with Yale has been canceled.

The two teams had been scheduled for a three-game slate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This was expected, as the Ivy League had cancelled all sports for the rest of the spring earlier.

There is no word yet on if another opponent will be found for the weekend series.


8:45 p.m. ET - American announces there will be no fans at the Men’s Basketball Tournament

Only “student-athletes, coaches, essential event, team and Conference staff, ESPN personnel, credentialed media, and immediate family members of the 12 participating teams” will be allowed into Dickie’s Arena in Fort Worth.


4:34 p.m. ET - Statement from NCAA President Mark Emmert: No fans at NCAA Tournaments

“I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance.” - Emmert


4:26 p.m. - The NCAA has advised all member institutions “against sporting events open to the public. We do believe sport events can take place with only essential personnel and limited family attendance, and this protects our players, employees, and fans.”

Full statement:

“The NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel recognizes the fluidity of COVID-19 and its impact on hosting events in a public space. COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the United States, and behavioral risk mitigation strategies are the best option for slowing the spread of this disease. This is especially important because mildly symptomatic individuals can transmit COVID-19. Given these considerations, coupled with a more unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 in older adults – especially those with underlying chronic medical conditions – we recommend against sporting events open to the public. We do believe sport events can take place with only essential personnel and limited family attendance, and this protects our players, employees, and fans.”


4:15 p.m. - Jacksonville has announced their game with Yale set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. will still be played as scheduled:

Still no word from UCF on the weekend series.


4 p.m. ET - UCF announces all classes will move to remote instruction as of Monday, March 16th, when students get back from Spring Break.

The State University System has advised its members to tell their students not to come back for in-person classes for at least two weeks.

No word yet from the athletic department on what this means for UCF sporting events.


3 p.m. ET - The Ivy League has announced it is cancelling all spring sports, effective immediately.

UCF Baseball was scheduled to play a three-game set with Yale this weekend. Also, Columbia was scheduled to play at ECU and Penn was to play at Stetson.

No word yet from UCF on what happens next.