Here is a look at some of the recent changes that have been made as coronavirus concerns grow.
<strong>Big Ten cancels remainder of men’s basketball tournament</strong>
The Big Ten Conference announced at midday Thursday that it is canceling the remainder of its men’s basketball tournament, effective immediately, because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
The tournament started Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Fans were present for Wednesday’s games, but the conference that evening announced it would be barring them from the remaining days of the tournament, which was supposed to run through Sunday.
<strong>Statewide student music competition cancels some events</strong>
An organization that planned to sponsor student music festivals across Indiana over the next few weeks involving more than 35,000 participants has decided to cancel them.
The Indiana State School Music Association said Thursday that it made the decision in hopes of protecting the young musicians from the spread of COVID-19. Students from more than 300 schools were set to perform at more than 30 school facilities.
The canceled competitions involve junior, middle and elementary school concert groups and the ISSMA State Show Choir and Jazz Finals. The events were set to take place through April 11.
The ISSMA has not yet decided what will happen with some high school events scheduled to take place after April 11, said Executive Director Michael Bridgewater.
A process is being developed to allow participants whose events have been canceled to submit recordings for evaluation, Bridgewater said.
<strong>St. Patrick’s Day Parade, canal greening called off</strong>
The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Indianapolis and two other St. Patrick’s Day-related events have been called off because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The downtown parade had been scheduled to take place for the 40th time on Friday before being called off by the Athletic Club Foundation.
“After consulting with public safety officials and reviewing a great deal of public information, the Foundation determined that it would be in the best interest of the general public and the fans that attend this event to cancel,” the group said Thursday in a statement.
Additionally, the Greening of the Canal event scheduled for Thursday and the Annual Shamrock Run Walk were also canceled.
A tent party sponsored by the Public Safety Foundation that was scheduled to take place during the parade also was nixed.
<strong>Huge volleyball event canceled</strong>
Plainfield-based Capitol Sports Center has canceled the Nike Mideast Volleyball Qualifier, which was expected to draw upwards of 38,000 people—including young athletes and their families—to the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium and the Incrediplex sports center northeast of Lawerence. The event was scheduled for March 20 to 22.
The event was canceled “due to the current health scare throughout the nation,” following discussions between Capitol Sports, governing body USA Volleyball, local and state health departments and the Indiana Convention Center, according to a brief statement on <a href="https://www.capitolsportscenter.com/meq">the group’s website</a>.
The event helps determine the national championship bracket for USA Volleyball (age groups 15 Open, 15 Select and 16-18s), while also drawing college scouts from across the country. About 105 courts were expected to be set up throughout the convention center’s exhibit halls and inside Lucas Oil Stadium, while 17 courts would have been used at the Incrediplex.
The Mideast Qualifier was expected to bring $24.8 million into the local economy, as the city hosted hundreds of girls volleyball games. St. Louis was slated to host games this weekend, for separate age brackets, however those competitions were also canceled.
<strong>Butler, BSU, UIndy suspends in-person classes</strong>
Butler University, Ball State University and UIndy all announced Wednesday that they would suspend in-person classes for at least several weeks in hopes of stemming the spread of COVID-19 among their school communities.
The Indiana schools noted that no cases of the respiratory illness had been reported on their campuses, and they plan to switch instruction from classrooms to online venues. All three schools are incorporating spring break into their plans.
<strong>NBA suspends season after player comes down with virus</strong>
The National Basketball Association has suspended its season “until further notice” after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league’s owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.
Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the presumptive positive test.
A person who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity said the league expects the shutdown to last a minimum of two weeks, but cautioned that time frame is very fluid.
If the season is suspended at least through March, the Indiana Pacers will miss eight games, including five home games. The Pacers were next scheduled to play on the road Saturday in Philadelphia. The team’s next scheduled home game was next Wednesday against Golden State.
