If this year’s sports scene is a bust, at least there’s some good news for next year.  All leagues are scrambling to get back on track for the 2020-21 season and, according to Dan Gavitt, Senior VP of basketball there are no plans for reassigning the 2021 NCAA March Madness tournament to a different date.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected fall sports across the country and the financial loss and impact have been catastrophic in the leagues.  Adding to the issues, some players have preferred to opt out of the tournaments in order to protect their lives and their families.  However, next year is beginning to look a lot brighter.

NCAA March Madness 2021 Should Be On Schedule

Gavitt told ESPN that, according to him, it would be a hasty decision to consider dramatic changes in the 2021 NCAA March Madness tournament.  If something bad happens, then the college basketball season would suffer losses that would reach into the multibillion-dollar area.  The NCAA competition is played during springtime and it has become of the most famous and lucrative sports events in the US, as well as around the world.

It is now also one of the more popular sports gambling activities, as well.  Gavitt said that the plan is to conduct this tournament in March and April next year, as if nothing had happened in 2020.

While college basketball officials have peace of mind because they have plenty of time ahead, college football brokers are considering several shifts due to the COVID-19 health crisis.  This past Wednesday, the Ivy League had some bad news for sports fans when it announced that they would be canceling all fall games, waiting for a possible comeback next year.  Undoubtedly, this decision will bring terrible consequences for the whole college sports scenario in the near-term.

NCAA Has Contingency Plans For Contingency Plans

Gavitt also mentioned that in their plan they expect to include several possibilities as a means to tackle any coming issues.  The NCAA league has to be flexible with this March Madness which can be more laid back and dynamic for the players in 2021.  The league is expected to use NET, an evaluation tool ranking system develop by Google that can measures if conferences do not play balanced and equitable schedules.

This will also help to counteract the impact of a chaotic season.  In case the season faces problems of this regard, they still can use more tools and do more observation to make changes on the fly.

One of the main points here is that college basketball does not have to come up with decisions that are leaders’ business.  The leaders still have some time to analyze any possible alternatives that, in the end, would benefit the course of NCAA basketball in the upcoming season.  It is also important for the league’s leaders to have more time to consider aspects that might pose a risk for the future of the tournament.

Major Leagues Could Set The Pace For College Hoops

On the same matter, Gavitt said, “We’ll learn a lot from what’s going on right now in Orlando with Major League Soccer and the NBA and Major League Baseball, and we’ll adapt from their experience.  As long as basketball is played safely in 2021, we will have a regular season, we will have a tournament.”  The sports leagues across the US are now facing enormous challenges, and adaptation is a fundamental key for success and saving athletics.

Nobody can deny that there is a risk of getting sick by the coronavirus, but people must know that life goes on, and if players, fans and the league unions are careful enough and follow the safety measures, there is a big chance that seasons and tournaments can be carried out.