ATLANTA — The National Collegiate Athletic Association said Thursday that it had canceled its Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments because of the coronavirus pandemic, erasing one the most anticipated annual events on the American sports calendar.
“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,” the N.C.A.A. said in a statement that referred to the illness.
The N.