ESPN cancels plans for college basketball bubble in Orlando

ESPN will not host up to eight men's college basketball events inside of an isolated "bubble" site in Orlando, Fla., next month. 

As Jeff Borzello wrote for ESPN, the Worldwide Leader has scrapped plans to place eight of 10 nonconference events at the ESPN Wide World of Sports property because of disagreements regarding COVID-19 testing protocols, specifically the retesting of those who return positive test results. 

In an official statement shared by Borzello, the network said: 

"ESPN Events set out to create a protected environment for teams to participate in early-season events in Orlando. Based on certain challenges surrounding testing protocols, we opted to resume these tournaments during the 2021-22 season."

The bubble was scheduled to host teams from Nov. 25, when college basketball seasons can start amid the coronavirus pandemic, through early December and would've included the Champions Classic, Jimmy V Classic, NIT Season Tip-Off, Charleston Classic, Myrtle Beach Invitational, Wooden Legacy, Orlando Invitational and Diamond Head Classic. Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Baylor and Illinois were among teams set to convene at the bubble site. 

In late August, reports surfaced that the NCAA applied for a trademark for the phrase "Battle in the Bubble" that could be attached to competitions and merchandise. The Associated Press reported on Friday that Mohegan Sun in Connecticut is creating "Bubbleville," which will include roughly 35 teams from more than a dozen conferences.

Over the summer, the ESPN Wide World of Sports resort became the temporary home of eligible NBA teams that participated in the league's restart to crown a champion for the 2019-20 season that was halted on March 11 because of the health crisis.