Here’s what’s different for Big 12 basketball teams at this week’s tournaments in KC
Twenty basketball teams will descend on downtown Kansas City later this week for the men’s and women’s Big 12 Tournaments, but you won’t find any players or coaches strolling around town in between games at Municipal Auditorium and T-Mobile Center.
They won’t be allowed to do much of anything outside their hotels other than practice and play.
Much like the NBA used strict COVID-19 testing and isolation protocols to create a bubble environment in order to finish its season last year in Orlando, the Big 12 will have special guidelines in place to protect teams while they are away from home.
Here are the highlights, according to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby:
- All 10 men’s teams will stay in the same hotel (the downtown Kansas City Marriott), exclusively reserved for their traveling parties.
- All 10 women’s teams will stay in another hotel, which will also isolate them.
- Every member of a team’s traveling party will be tested upon arrival to the hotels.
- COVID-19 testing will continue daily.
- All meals will be catered inside the hotels.
- Working media will sit at the top of arenas instead of their normal courtside locations.
- Event staffers, security crews and game officials with floor access will undergo daily COVID-19 testing.
- Limited fan attendance at both arenas.
- Mask and social distancing requirements at both arenas.
“There are some things that are very different from previous years,” Bowlsby said during a teleconference Monday, “but most of it is consistent with what we’ve been doing throughout the year. We’ve been testing three times a week. Much of what we’re doing has been in practice over the last three months. But there is a little bit more over and above that we will be doing.”
The Big 12 is taking those extra precautions in hopes of playing two complete tournaments and then sending teams that qualify for the NCAA Tournament off to their March Madness sites as healthy as the day they arrived in Kansas City.
All but two women’s basketball teams played a full 18-game conference schedule this season. And all but two men’s basketball teams played at least 17 conference games this season.
K-State men’s basketball coach Bruce Weber is confident there won’t be any new hiccups for teams this week. He said the Big 12 has designated a handful of private gyms around town for teams to practice at in between games.
The Wildcats are scheduled to practice in Manhattan on Tuesday morning and then bus to Kansas City afterward. Once there, he can’t imagine the leaving the hotel to go anywhere other than a basketball practice before they open the men’s tournament against TCU at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“I just hope the best teams are able to play (in the NCAA Tournament). That’s the part you worry about,” Weber said. “You saw it in the Missouri Valley Tournament. Northern Iowa had a positive and had to cancel a game. You just hope the best teams are able to move forward, so you have somewhat of a true tournament where you have a winner that should be the winner.”