RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The VCU Rams have been removed from the NCAA Tournament due to a break of COVID-19 protocols.
The game was declared a no-contest by the NCAA on Saturday evening, hours before the tenth-seeded Rams were to tip-off against No. 7 Oregon in the first round.
VCU Head Coach Mike Rhoades said this is a blow for the team.
“We’ve been tested every day for the past three weeks, but within the past 48 hours we’ve received multiple positive tests,” Rhoades said. “We are devastated for our players and coaches. It has been a dream for all of us to play in the NCAA Tournament. We appreciate the care of our doctors and administration this year, and all our efforts and attention will be put into our players at this time.”
On Saturday, VCU became the first team to be pulled from the NCAA Tournament due to COVID-19 protocols. However, Tournament officials said no further comment would be made due to “privacy”.
A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said the decision to pull VCU from the tournament is completely heartbreaking.
“This is tremendously disappointing and heartbreaking for the student-athletes who’ve worked so hard for this opportunity. During this pandemic, the medical advisory boards have the authority to make this decision for the safety and welfare all of the student-athletes, staff and teams. VCU has had an outstanding year, and this setback does not diminish any of their accomplishments,” Atlantic 10 Commissioner
