SEATTLE — Missouri-Kansas City has joined Chicago State in canceling a trip to Seattle for a regularly scheduled Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball game this week over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, the conference announced Wednesday.
UMKC was scheduled to play Seattle University on Saturday but the conference said the school has canceled that trip. Chicago State announced Tuesday night it was canceling its men’s basketball road trip to Seattle and Utah Valley, and said its women’s team would not host two games against those same schools.
The cancellations are believed to be the first by a major sport in the United States due to the virus.
“While disappointed that the situation has evolved as it has, I fully respect the right of any member institution to determine what it believes to in the best interest of its student-athletes,” WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd said in a statement. “From a conference standpoint, the necessary adjustments will be made according to NCAA policy in order to bracket the conference tournament scheduled for March 11-14 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.”
The canceled games will be recorded as a “no-contest” per NCAA guidelines. The conference said it is proceeding as scheduled with all other conference events, including next week’s WAC basketball tournaments in Las Vegas.
In a statement, Seattle said there has been no recommendation to “suspend campus operations, including athletic contests, or restrict travel in the United States at this time.”
“We respect Chicago State and Kansas City’s decisions and understand their concerns. We share a commitment to ensuring the health and safety of our communities, fans and all who attend university-sponsored events,” the school said. “Seattle University is actively monitoring and responding to this rapidly evolving situation and continuing to follow the guidance of public health agencies and make decisions based on the most up-to-date information available.”
Chicago State said in a statement that it was making the move with the “health and well-being of the campus community in mind.”
“Chicago State athletics views our decision as a reaffirmation of our commitment to the well-being, health and safety of our student athletes,” Chicago State athletic director Elliott Charles said in the statement.
Worldwide, more than 93,000 people have been infected and over 3,100 have died, the vast majority of them in China. The number of countries hit by the virus exceeds 70.
Virus clusters in the United States led schools and subways to sanitize and spread fears among nursing home residents, who are especially vulnerable. The number of the infections in the U.S. topped 100 and the death toll climbed to nine. All the deaths were in Washington state, and most of them were residents of a Seattle-area nursing home.
Chicago State men’s basketball team is 0-14 in WAC play and 4-25 overall this season. The women’s team is 1-13 in conference and 1-26 overall.
UMKC men’s basketball is 7-7 in conference and 15-14 overall.
NBA: In a memo sent to teams Sunday, the league and the NBA Players’ Association stated they are “closely monitoring the coronavirus situation” and are in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The memo also recommended that players avoid giving high-fives when interacting with fans and avoid borrowing pens and markers from fans requesting autographs. No plans have been made to cancel games or bar fans from attending. In a statement, Staples Center encouraged fans who are planning to attend events at the arena to “engage in safe hygiene practices” and “stay home if they feel unwell.”
MLB: The league has established an internal task force to deal with issues related to coronavirus in the coming months, according to a memo sent to high-ranking baseball officials Tuesday obtained by ESPN. Baseball has no plans to cancel or ban fans from attending games. The memo advises players not to shake hands with fans and not use pens and markers from fans to sign autographs. It also asks teams to make sure all players have received the 2019-20 flu vaccine and other necessary vaccinations.
NFL: NFL Media reported Tuesday that the league is “closely monitoring developments” related to coronavirus and that it is still planning to hold the NFL draft in Las Vegas on April 23-25. In addition, individual pro days for draft-eligible players will begin as scheduled on Thursday. The NFL’s annual meeting, which is attended by team owners, general managers and coaches, is still scheduled to be held March 29-April 1 in Palm Beach, Fla.
NHL: Commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday that the league is monitoring the coronavirus outbreak but declined to say whether games could be altered, canceled or rescheduled. He also wouldn’t speculate on whether the league would consider playing in empty arenas or postponing the playoffs. All NHL employees have been barred from traveling outside North America for business purposes. Scouts based in Europe have to stay in Europe or be quarantined upon arriving in North America, Bettman said.
NCAA: The college athletics sanctioning body says it is monitoring the outbreak but that it has no plans to make changes for the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. “The NCAA is committed to conducting its championships and events in a safe and responsible manner,” Donald Remy, the NCAA’s chief operating officer, said in a statement Tuesday. “Today we are planning to conduct our championships as planned; however, we are evaluating the covid-19 situation daily and will make decisions accordingly.”
MLS: The league has created a task force to monitor the coronavirus outbreak. Sports teams in Los Angeles County, including the Galaxy and LAFC, have been warned they may be asked to cancel games or play them in empty stadiums after the county declared a health emergency Wednesday to deal with the coronavirus. “This could be that games are played but there are no spectators,” L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer said. “This could be that there are limits to how people are going to gather … But I want to reassure everyone we are not there today.”
NASCAR: In a statement released Wednesday, NASCAR said its racing schedule and business operations remain unchanged as it monitors the outbreak. It said it has been in communication with federal, state and local health officials in addition to teams and tracks.
IndyCar: The racing league’s sanctioning body said in a statement Wednesday that it is closely monitoring the situation but does not expect any changes to its season opener, which takes place in St. Petersburg, Fla., on March 15.
PGA: The PGA Tour announced Wednesday that it has no plans to alter its schedule beyond changes that have already been made with the PGA Tour-Series China (delayed start to season). That could change, the league said, if the CDC and the World Health Organization make recommendations.