MORE: College basketball's end came quickly; now come questions | Big Ten suspends organized team activities until April 6 | Big Ten cancels competitions through end of academic year | Big Ten tournament has been canceled | It's official: NCAA tourney is canceled
One by one, sporting events across the country have been canceled amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19. Among the scrubbed events: The Big Ten tourney, which was called off on Thursday morning.
Now, the Big Ten has gone a big step further: All conference and non-conference competitions through the end of the academic year have been canceled.
Per the official release, "The Big Ten cancels all conference and non-conference competitions through the end of the academic year and announces a moratorium on all on- and off-campus recruiting activities for the foreseeable future.
"The Big Ten Conference will use this time to work with the appropriate medical experts and institutional leadership to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The main priority of the Big Ten Conference continues to be the health, safety and wellness of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans and media as we continue to monitor all developing and relevant information on the COVID-19 virus."
Major conference basketball tournaments were beginning this week, where automatic bids would be handed out to winners. Teams also would battle for seed position in the 68-team NCAA bracket. The Final Four was slated for April 3-6 in Atlanta.
The Big Ten tourney began on Wednesday in Indianapolis with No. 12 Minnesota beating No. 13 Northwestern and No. 11 Indiana taking down No. 14 Nebraska. Four games were slated for today, including No. 10 Purdue playing No. 7 Ohio State at 6:30 p.m. ET.
But Thursday morning, the remainder of the Big Ten tournament was canceled due to concerns over the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The Boilermakers (16-15 overall and 9-11 Big Ten) needed to make a run in Bankers Life Fieldhouse to earn an NCAA tourney bid. Now, their season--along with every other Big Ten school--is finished.
It's unknown how Purdue spring football will be impacted. The Boilermakers have conducted eight of 15 allotted practices. The program is off for spring break and is slated to practice again on March 23. Pro Day is April 2. The spring game is April 4.
Purdue spring sports like baseball, track, softball and women's golf and tennis have been underway. Now, their seasons are finished.
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