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Michigan State won't tip off season in Orlando after ESPN cancels events in Florida city

It looks like Michigan State won’t be tipping off its season in Orlando, after all.

While final college basketball schedules are still being worked on, ESPN’s plan to hold several multiple-team events it owns in the Florida city are being scrapped.

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

The news was first reported by The Athletic.

“We’ve decided to redirect our efforts to be sure the teams have enough time to make other plans,” Clint Overby, vice president of ESPN Events, told The Athletic.