Los Angeles (AFP)
March Madness, the finals of the college basketball championship which is the most passionately watched event in the United States after the Superbowl, will take place in March-April in several bubbles created in Indiana, announced Monday its central body (NCAA).
Last year, this event had to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the persistent spread of which led the organizers to opt for a model already successfully implemented by the NBA and the WNBA (the women's league) which were able to complete their respective seasons in Florida this past summer and fall.
The majority of the 67 matches on the program will take place in Indianapolis, in venues at several universities within the city, but also in West Lafayette and Bloomington located in the heart of the "Hoosier State".
The tournament kicks off on March 16, ending with a "final four" taking place April 3-5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
"This is a historic moment for the members of the NCAA and for the State of Indiana", welcomed the president of the university body, Mark Emmert.
"We have worked tirelessly to reinvent a tournament structure that retains the uniqueness of our championship for varsity athletes."
According to the principle of a bubble, teams will stay in "dedicated hotel floors", will have to respect social distancing throughout their participation in the tournament, and a "limited number of family members" will be allowed to attend matches.
Finally, if the NCAA says it is working with local authorities to determine the feasibility of welcoming fans in theaters, it has to set up "Mask Madness", an initiative to promote the wearing of masks, in particular by making donate thousands of copies statewide before the tournament.
© 2021 AFP