Could NCHSAA state basketball championships still be played? Commissioner hopes so.
In a conference call with reporters Friday, N.C. High School Athletic Association Commissioner Que Tucker said she hoped to still hold this year’s state championship basketball games.
Due to concerns with the coronavirus, the NCHSAA postponed Saturday’s eight state championship games and added a suspension on spring sports that begins Saturday. The suspension of spring sports will run through at least Monday, April 6.
The NCHSAA was one of many sports organizations to cancel or postpone in-state events, including the ACC tournament.
Five Observer-area teams were scheduled to play in state finals Saturday: girls teams from Vance and Newton-Conover; boys teams from North Mecklenburg, Freedom and Shelby.
“Yesterday’s events and decisions were certainly uncharted territory for much of the athletic world, and the NCHSAA was no different in that regard,” Tucker said. “The decision to postpone state championships was not one that we took lightly, and only came after we felt we had exhausted all other options, recognizing the gravity and uncertainty of the threat we all face. The decision was made through consultation with our Board of Directors, the host facilities and their respective University administrators. It is our hope that we will be able to conduct the Basketball State Championships for 2020 at some point in the near future, but whether or not that hope is realistic remains to be seen.”
Tucker said after the suspension of athletics ends April 6, the NCHSAA Board of Directors will reassess and determine if further action is necessary. She also explained why the spring sports ban was not enforced immediately but allowed teams to play games Thursday and Friday.
“We felt it best, at this time, to leave the option for our coaches, administrators, and school personnel to provide the athletes competing in spring sports an opportunity to complete anything planned for these two days,” Tucker said, “understanding the difficulty facing many programs in suddenly altering the season. This provides the opportunity for coaches to meet with their teams, helping these young people to understand the situation, giving them an opportunity to cope with the changes and uncertainty alongside their teammates.”
Tucker said she hoped that NCHSAA schools could return to competition soon.
“There is nothing more that we want for our student-athletes than for them to be able to safely compete and finish out their seasons healthy,” Tucker said. “However, we recognize that difficult decisions must be made by those in leadership positions to best help our nation and world contain the threat posed by COVID-19, and we as leaders in interscholastic athletics at the high school level in North Carolina must do our part.”
