College Baseball and Softball World Series also canceled by NCAA due to coronavirus

In addition to the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament, the NCAA has also canceled the College World Series in baseball and softball.

The news that was inevitable for the last 24-plus hours that the NCAA Tournament would be canceled has been levied. NCAA President Mark Emmert made the announcement on Thursday afternoon, on a day when 14 conference tournaments were canceled and MLB, NHL and other leagues suspended their seasons due to the coronavirus pandemic.

College campuses are closing around the country so it was the right decision to be safe and cautious. It may have taken a little longer to make the formal announcement, but erring on the side of caution was the appropriate response.

But the NCAA Tournaments were not the only cancellation.

College baseball and college softball have been canceled.

There will be no College World Series this year.

The NCAA released a statement saying all winter and spring championships will be canceled.

"Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities."

This is the right move, but it doesn’t mean there can’t be sympathy for the players and coaches in these sports (and the other winter and spring sports) who will not have their season and will not have the opportunity to compete for a championship. For the seniors on these teams, it’s especially sad knowing their college careers are finished. Maybe there’s an opportunity for waivers to preserve this year so they can play one more season in 2021, even if they are already graduated.

Hopefully, the NCAA makes the right decision on the human element here. They made the right decision to protect players and every one by shutting down the sports, so now they need to do right by the student-athlete.

For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.