As of Tuesday night, that tournament was going to be held as always with fans in the stands at the Barclays Center, though that won’t be the case with the Mid-American Conference tournament in Cleveland this week or at various Ohio high school events around the state. Only family members, credentialed media and others will be allowed to watch the games in person.
The status of the First Four at UD Arena and NCAA tournament games in Cleveland next week is also in question after Gov. Mike DeWine recommended Tuesday that indoor athletic events in Ohio be played without spectators.
That may not be the case for Dayton this week, but it could be the case next week in the NCAA tournament.
“We still have to go out there and play no matter what,” Dayton guard Jalen Crutcher said Tuesday. “If there aren’t fans, we still have to go out there and win the game. For sure, it’d be very different.”
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“You want to make sure your guys are safe,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. “You want to make sure your guys are healthy. For the public at large, you want to make sure no one’s putting them in harm’s way. We have to trust the decision makers in terms of what’s best and just hope for the best.”
The A-10 is making at least one change to how it handles the tournament. It will not have an open locker room policy for the media after games.
“Requested student-athletes will be brought to postgame press conferences,” the A-10 announced Tuesday night.
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