INDIANAPOLIS — Mark Emmert sat at a conference table Wednesday afternoon in NCAA headquarters, looking tired but sounding a bit relieved. At least a decision on a burgeoning issue had been made, difficult as it was.
The fans would stay home. But the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments — and all other winter sports championships — would go on. In a crisis situation, this was a triage solution.
“The one thing we have to make sure of is that these young men and women get to compete in a championship,” the NCAA president said in an exclusive sit-down interview with Sports Illustrated and The Athletic.