A game official from the CAA men’s basketball tournament tested positive for coronavirus.
The Colonial Athletic Association announced the test results on Thursday afternoon.
“The official did not exhibit symptoms of the virus until 72 hours after the game he worked, but out of an abundance of caution the conference has made the involved institutions and tournament personnel aware of the situation so they can take proper precautionary measures,” the conference said in an official release.
The CAA conference tournament completed on Tuesday night in Washington D.C. Hofstra won the title game over Northeastern to claim the league’s autobid. The CAA conference tournament began on March 7 and went until March 10.
The 2020 men’s and women’s NCAA tournament was canceled abruptly on Thursday afternoon due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The NCAA’s decision came hours after all of the conference tournaments were put on hold earlier Thursday.
This is believed to be the first time coronavirus has directly impacted men’s college basketball. Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg coached sick in the Big Ten tournament on Wednesday night. But Hoiberg was cleared for coronavirus and diagnosed with the flu after exiting the game early.
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It’s unclear which teams might be impacted by this CAA coronavirus announcement. It also isn’t clear if the game official came into contact with coronavirus at the CAA tournament or after the event.
But we’ve already seen the NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS put things on hold. Sporting events are getting canceled all over the country. And this is the type of announcement that reinforces why so many leagues are being cautious during a chaotic time.
