INDIANAPOLIS — The coronavirus has forced the NCAA and NBA to take drastic measures in order to help prevent its spread.

The NCAA announced Wednesday that NCAA Tournament games will be played as scheduled, but it will be without fans being allowed to attend the games. The NBA has decided to suspend its season until further notice.

Kyle Anderson, an economist at Indiana University, tells Inside Indiana Business the economic fallout of the NCAA’s decision not to allow fans at tournament games will be huge.

“It’s going to be pretty big,” Anderson said. “When you look at a regional like that, the economic impacts are estimated to be around 15-to-20-million dollars for the local economy.”

The Big Ten Conference also reversed course Wednesday saying fans will not be allowed to attend the remainder of the Big Ten postseason tournament. Anderson said with no fans allowed at games, the out of town fans won’t be coming to Indianapolis to spend their money on food, hotels, and other entertainment.

Anderson said there may be somewhat of a saving-grace in people who already live in Indianapolis.

“The first games of the NCAA Tournament tournament, you know, the sports bars are always pretty crowded,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see whether that dies down and people stay home to watch games or if this shifts people from actually going to the games and going to other local places to watch then anyway.”

In spite of the expected economic woes from fans not being allowed at games, Anderson said the NBA, NCAA, and Big Ten have all made a wise decision to air on the side of caution. He said the ultimate goal is to keep coronavirus from spreading, especially to their coaches and athletes.

 

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