MAC Tournament to disallow non-credentialed spectators in Cleveland

The MAC Tournament is going to be held in the Rocket Mortage Fieldhouse, but Cleveland-area fans will not be permitted to attend.

If you’re a media member, member of the team, family member of a player or coaching staff member, or anyone else who has to be there for some reason, you’ll be able to go to the MAC Tournament on Wednesday, March 11. Casual fans, students from the school, that guy Johnny from the bar that owes everyone twenty-bucks and your great-aunt Ida can’t go. Sorry. This coming from the MAC conference itself, in a statement released late Tuesday afternoon.

Tickets can be exchanged for credit towards the 2021 Mac Tournament, or for a full refund.

This is a move that makes sense with the rising tide of outbreaks of the Corona Virus throughout the world. According to CNN, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced at a news conference on Monday that the entire country was now described as a ‘red zone’ territory and that the whole country is on lockdown. No one in, no one out.

According to the BBC, Israel is holding all people coming into the country for two weeks in quarantine in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus. This isn’t even to mention all the international sporting events that are asking people to stay home and have the games played in spectator-less arenas and venues. Whole tournaments in the NCAA and tennis have already been canceled or postponed.

While some knuckle-dragging fans will screech about the MAC’s decision, this was the right call. It’s just a sporting event. It’s not life or death. It’s either this or cancel the tournament. Safety, even if it’s a bit of an over-reaction, is paramount. Considering how fast and how aggressive this virus has spread, it’s important to be aware and limit the number of possible instances in which the disease can move.

Everyone should fully support the move from the MAC Conference. Hell, if our politicians are putting themselves in self-isolation to avoid potentially spreading the virus, then you know this isn’t some overblown event. This is real. Suck it up and deal, Buttercups.