ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 16: Marc-Eddy Norelia #25 of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles and Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Florida State Seminoles battle for position during a free throw in the first half during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Amway Center on March 16, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
ESPN won’t hold college basketball tournaments in a Florida bubble next month.
In a statement Monday, ESPN Events said it had “set out to create a protected environment” in Orlando for teams set to compete in events it operates. Those plans changed due to “certain challenges surrounding testing protocols," leading to the decision to resume those events during the 2021-22 season.
ESPN Events lists 10 college basketball tournaments and doubleheaders on its website originally scheduled for the upcoming season, including the Champions Classic that annually features Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State as well as the Preseason NIT, the Jimmy V Classic and the Orlando Invitational.
The NCAA delayed the start of the season to Nov. 25 amid the coronavirus pandemic, though scheduling remains unsettled with less than a month to go.
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