March Madness Will Be Played Without Fans Over Coronavirus: NCAA

People wear surgical masks as they walk along Chinatown's Grant Avenue in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 26, 2020. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The March Madness college basketball tournament will be held without fans due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced the upcoming men’s and women’s tournaments will be held with “only essential staff and limited family attendance,” NCAA president Mark Emmert stated Wednesday.