Atlantic 10, Conference USA cancel tournaments due to coronavirus

The Atlantic 10 and Conference USA on Thursday joined the growing list of conferences canceling the remainder of their basketball tournaments due to coronavirus.

That ends the seasons for Davidson’s men’s team and the Charlotte 49ers’ men and women’s teams. Conference USA also announced Thursday that all spring sports have been suspended indefinitely.

Davidson was scheduled to face La Salle in a second-round Atlantic 10 men’s tournament game at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Barclays Center in New York.

The Charlotte 49ers men were to play Florida International in a quarterfinal game in the C-USA tournament in Frisco, Texas. Charlotte’s women, who won a first-round game on Wednesday, were to play Western Kentucky in the quarterfinals at 3 p.m. Thursday.

The suspension of spring sports includes Charlotte’s Green-White football game, scheduled for March 21, which has been canceled by the university.

Later Thursday, the Atlantic 10 announced it was canceling all spring sports competitions.

“This has been another difficult decision for the conference, but canceling our spring sports seasons and championships is in the best interest of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans,” A-10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade said in a statement. “The health and safety of everyone is our top priority, and while we truly empathize with our student-athletes, we believe this is the best course of action.”

Earlier in the day, the NCAA had announced it was canceling its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, as well as all spring sports championships.

The final competition of the school year could be seen Thursday afternoon on Davidson’s campus, where the Wildcats men’s and women’s tennis teams hosted Saint Joseph’s. A handful of spectators watched.

Meanwhile, back in Brooklyn, Wildcats basketball player Jon Axel Gudmundsson tweeted: “Not how I pictured my senior year ending.

This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 12:39 PM.