MAC Basketball Tournaments Closed To Public

CLEVELAND — The Mid-American Conference's (MAC) men's and women's basketball tournaments will be played at Rocket Mortage FieldHouse in Cleveland, but play will be closed to the general public, officials announced Tuesday. Fears over the spread of the new coronavirus prompted the decision to restrict access to the games.

The tournament will be played Wednesday, March 11 to Saturday, March 14. Only credentialed institutional personnel, family members of the athletes, credentialed media and team party members will be allowed into the games.

"The safety of all is our greatest concern," said MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher. "Since January, I have stated that any decision would follow the advice of state government officials and medical professionals."

During a press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Mike DeWine encouraged all indoor sporting events to be played without spectators. "Following the feedback we received today, we have taken this action which is in alignment with recommendation of Gov. DeWine," Steinberecher said.

All tickets for the MAC tournament games will be refunded in the form of a credit toward next year's tournament or a full refund. All ticket holders will receive an email with more instructions. Starting Wednesday, fans can contact their university's athletic department or Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 216-420-2200.

Ohio's first confirmed cases of coronavirus, called COVID-19, were announced on Monday. All three infected people live in Cuyahoga County. On Tuesday, DeWine and state health officials issued a series of recommendations to stymie the spread of the virus.