NCCAA Tourney At Grace College Cancelled
March 13, 2020 at 1:37 a.m.
NCCAA Tourney At Grace College Cancelled
By Mark Howe-
The tournaments were to be played beginning Wednesday through March 21.
The press release said, in part, “The NCCAA Division II championships in Missouri were canceled earlier in the day on Thursday. The canceling of both NCCAA tournaments was made in an effort to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19.”
The cancellation is consistent with cancellation of virtually all known college and professional sports competitions throughout the United States. The National Basketball Association suspended its season Tuesday night, triggering a landslide of similar actions across the board.
“The NCCAA appreciates Grace College hosting these events and for its role in coming to this very difficult and inconvenient decision,” said NCCAA Executive Director Dan Wood. “We are less logistically and contractually constrained than our NCAA and NAIA peers but felt this was the best decision for our member schools, student-athletes, and the NCCAA, regardless of outside influences. We are certainly aware of the frustration and disappointment of participants and fans alike.”
Grace Director of Athletics Chad Briscoe said that the community service projects teams participate in annually had previously been cancelled because the projects tend to focus on service to children and the elderly, two demographics most susceptible to the virus.
The announcement capped a day of disappointment for the Lancer program. Earlier in the day, the men’s program was scheduled to open play in the NAIA Division II national tournament, with that event cancelled about 90 minutes before the Lancers were to take the floor for its opening game. The NAIA opened the tournament Wednesday, then contested two games Thursday with no paid admissions in the stands before choosing to cancel the rest of the tournament.
Still, Briscoe said he understood the disposition in which the NCCAA found itself.
“We appreciate the NCCAA and its mission and understand that these circumstances result in difficult decisions for all involved,” said Briscoe. “We support the decision to cancel next week’s tournament, and we feel that this decision was made in the best interest of the student-athletes, officials, staff and fans.”
Fans who can bring their yellow tickets to the Grace athletics office can get a refund of the purchase price.
Briscoe said the college, which has hosted the tournaments since 2009, has a contract that kicks in next year to host the NCCAA tournaments through the 2022-23 season.
“We’re thankful for that,” he said, “and hopefully we can get back in the saddle and get ready for next year.”
The tournaments were to be played beginning Wednesday through March 21.
The press release said, in part, “The NCCAA Division II championships in Missouri were canceled earlier in the day on Thursday. The canceling of both NCCAA tournaments was made in an effort to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19.”
The cancellation is consistent with cancellation of virtually all known college and professional sports competitions throughout the United States. The National Basketball Association suspended its season Tuesday night, triggering a landslide of similar actions across the board.
“The NCCAA appreciates Grace College hosting these events and for its role in coming to this very difficult and inconvenient decision,” said NCCAA Executive Director Dan Wood. “We are less logistically and contractually constrained than our NCAA and NAIA peers but felt this was the best decision for our member schools, student-athletes, and the NCCAA, regardless of outside influences. We are certainly aware of the frustration and disappointment of participants and fans alike.”
Grace Director of Athletics Chad Briscoe said that the community service projects teams participate in annually had previously been cancelled because the projects tend to focus on service to children and the elderly, two demographics most susceptible to the virus.
The announcement capped a day of disappointment for the Lancer program. Earlier in the day, the men’s program was scheduled to open play in the NAIA Division II national tournament, with that event cancelled about 90 minutes before the Lancers were to take the floor for its opening game. The NAIA opened the tournament Wednesday, then contested two games Thursday with no paid admissions in the stands before choosing to cancel the rest of the tournament.
Still, Briscoe said he understood the disposition in which the NCCAA found itself.
“We appreciate the NCCAA and its mission and understand that these circumstances result in difficult decisions for all involved,” said Briscoe. “We support the decision to cancel next week’s tournament, and we feel that this decision was made in the best interest of the student-athletes, officials, staff and fans.”
Fans who can bring their yellow tickets to the Grace athletics office can get a refund of the purchase price.
Briscoe said the college, which has hosted the tournaments since 2009, has a contract that kicks in next year to host the NCCAA tournaments through the 2022-23 season.
“We’re thankful for that,” he said, “and hopefully we can get back in the saddle and get ready for next year.”
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