MOBILE, Ala. – As the bus rolled east on Interstate 20 headed for New Orleans, the word was slowly starting to leak through social media as conferences across the country were deciding how to run their postseason basketball tournaments.
Following a 9 a.m. departure from the team's hotel in Arlington, Texas, the announcement had already been made that the Sun Belt Conference Tournament would be closed except to essential personnel and family members of participating student-athletes. Before a stop could be made for lunch, there was an update, and it wasn't good.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament had been cancelled.