Iona's Rick Pitino calls for delay of college basketball season, NCAA Tournament
College basketball officials are struggling to come up with a plan for the upcoming season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. With no clear-cut plan in place, one of the sport's most influential voices is calling for a new start date and delay of the NCAA tournament.
Iona Gaels coach Rick Pitino tweeted on Saturday that spiking and various protocols make it impossible to play basketball right now. He's not wrong, and he made a suggestion that is reasonable.
Pitino suggests that the Nov. 25 start date be pushed back and that "March Madness" be switched to "May Madness." He also called for the elimination of all nonconference games.
Pitino's message aligns with what a majority of coaches have conveyed. According to ESPN, one high-profile coach said the situation for college basketball is "scary," while another said it's impossible to play right now.
Multiple basketball programs have been derailed by the NCAA's 14-day quarantine, which is required after a player or coach tests positive for COVID-19. With the likelihood that this keeps happening, it doesn't make sense for basketball to be played until a better plan can be created.
With the season set to begin in about two weeks, many schools haven't even released their schedules. At this point, having a normal season seems nearly impossible.
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