The field is set for the NCAA’s men’s college basketball tournament, which returns this week after being cancelled last year because of concerns over COVID-19.
But the pandemic is still making this year’s “March Madness” the strangest in the tournament’s history.
The tournament, known as a showcase for regions across the country, takes place this year only in and around Indianapolis.
Teams will live in a bubble of reserved hotel floors…and players must test negative for COVID over seven days.
The virus knocked Kansas and Virginia out of their conference tournaments, but they were still selected for the NC-double-A tourney.
They and the other tournament teams must announce by tomorrow (Tuesday) night if they’re healthy enough to participate. A quartet of other squads are ready to fill-in if necessary.
Once the games begin, any team with an outbreak of the virus must have at least five players who pass the protocols, or in essence forfeit the contest. Number one seeds Michigan, Illinois, Baylor and Gonzaga sit atop the bracket.