The contest scheduled for Saturday night between Oregon’s seventh No. 7 and No. 10 box office VCU in the first round of the 2021 NCAA tournament has been declared non-contest, with the Ducks moving to the second round due to COVID-19 issues within the VCU program. It is the first cancellation of the tournament, as the event continues with rigorous COVID-19 testing standards.
“The NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee has declared the VCU-Oregon game scheduled for Saturday night at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum as a non-contest due to COVID-19 protocols,” the NCAA said in a statement. “This decision was made in consultation with the Marion County Department of Public Health. As a result, Oregon will move on to the next round of the tournament. The NCAA and committee regret that student-athletes and VCU technical staff do not they can play in a tournament in which they won the right to participate. For privacy reasons we cannot provide further details. “
Oregon will play the winner of Saturday night’s game between series leader Iowa and No. 15 Grand Canyon captain.
The cancellation marks a bitter end for VCU after the Rams made the NCAA tournament as a general team after a 19-7 season.
A source Said Matt Norlander of CBS Sports that positive tests appeared within the VCU program Wednesday evening, Friday evening, and Saturday morning. These positive tests caused Indiana and NCAA health officials to decide that allowing VCU to continue playing was too risky, according to Norlander.
Although NCAA officials previously said a team could compete with just five players, officials determined in this case that the VCU situation could “appear to be spreading,” Norlander reported.
The non-contest means that at least four of the five Pac-12 teams that reached the 68 field will play in the second round. Oregon State, Colorado and USC won the first round games. UCLA plays BYU’s No. 6 seed Saturday night in a first-round game after the Bruins won the First Four on Thursday night.
VCU and St. Bonaventure were the two Atlantic 10’s teams in the 68 field, but both were eliminated on Saturday, with the No. 9 ranking of the Bonnies falling into the hands of LSU. Unfortunately, the Rams never had a chance on the court.
“This is tremendously disappointing and heartbreaking for the student-athletes who have worked so hard for this opportunity,” Atlantic 10 curator Bernadette McGlade said in a statement. “During this pandemic, medical advisory boards have the authority to make this decision for the safety and well-being of all student-athletes, staff and teams. VCU has had an exceptional year, and this setback does not diminish any of its successes. ”