Kansas, Missouri basketball tourneys continue despite surrounding states’ cancellations
With the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus across the U.S., several states have canceled or postponed their high school state basketball tournaments.
Not in Kansas or Missouri. Not yet, anyway.
On Thursday, the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) announced it will continue as scheduled with fans in the stands at each of its six state championship sites, including Wichita.
State tournaments are entering the quarterfinal round of the Class 6A boys, 5A girls, 4A boys, 3A girls, 2A boys and 1A girls brackets. All state semifinals are scheduled for Friday with championship games and third-place games set for Saturday.
“We are very pleased to be able to provide that,” KSHSAA assistant executive director Fran Martin said. “From there on, this is a moving target for us.”
Martin is the director of high school basketball in Kansas. She said there will likely be fewer fans at the state events as KSHSAA has informed people to stay home if they feel ill or uncomfortable with the ongoing situation.
“This is a choice,” Martin said. “It’s not a requirement.”
Craig Manteuffel, another KSHSAA assistant executive director, said the Kansas state basketball tournaments are unique because the audience is split among six sites, and these tournaments do not draw an out-of-state crowd.
In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association has indefinitely suspended the Classes 6A-2A state basketball tournaments. In Texas, the University Interscholastic League suspended its state tournaments until further notice.
In Nebraska, the Nebraska School Activities Association announced the games will continue as scheduled, but fan attendance will be limited on the recommendation of the City of Lincoln and Nebraska Deartment of Education. Missouri is doing something similar.
KSHSAA has been in contact with every state’s high school activities association in the surrounding area, and knows what each state has chosen to do, Martin said. She said until the Kansas Department of Health recommends a different course of action, the tournaments will continue. But if that happens, “everything is on the table,” she said.
“We will look at all the options that everybody else has looked at in other states, including limiting fans, not having it,” Martin said.
Manteuffel said seats will be wiped clean between games, and as teams rotate into and out of locker rooms, the facilities will be cleaned. Schools and athletes have been advised on how to best prevent illness, he said.
The impact of the coronavirus will also likely spread into the spring sports season, which includes baseball, softball, track and girls soccer. Martin said the Department of Education held a conference call with every superintendent in Kansas Thursday morning. When decisions are made about how to handle in-class activities, it may affect how KSHSAA proceeds, Martin said.
“We have been monitoring this not just for the past four days,” Martin said. “We have been monitoring this for the past four weeks and trying to be as prepared as best as you can.
“We may not even be at the tip of the iceberg with this thing. This could be another six months. What are we going to do about fall championships next year? What are we going to do about summer activities? Those are all things that right now are on the table, and everybody has to be prepared for a different world if things continue as they are.”