DENVER | In an ever-fluid situation and as a precaution to help limit the potential spread of Coronavirus, the Colorado High School Activities Association has moved to restrict access to the remainder of the state boys and girls championship basketball tournaments to “essential team personnel” and a small number of family members.
CHSAA has offered numerous updates in the previous days in regards to the status of the tournaments and the latest — as of Wednesday night, the eve of the resumption of the tournaments — indicated that fans will not be in the stands for remaining games, however, appeals on social media to allow some family members in to watch were successful.
“In negotiations tonight for a compromise on family/guest for each player,” CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green tweeted. “We can allow each player to have a maximum of four family/guest to attend their game. CHSAA will waive ticket cost. Asst. Commish Borgmann will communicate directly on protocol to each coach/school.”
Just a couple of hours earlier, CHSAA issued a statement that indicated only “essential team personnel” would be permitted in the venues:
“Essential personnel means only those who have been submitted on the official CHSAA gate list by schools will be able to enter the venue. No spirit teams or bands will be permitted entry. Media will be permitted to attend, if they have a CHSAA-issued pass,” the earlier statement on CHSAANow.com enumerated.
“While this decision is a difficult one, we do want the students who have worked so hard to be able to have a culminating event that reflects the commitment they have made throughout the season,” Blanford-Green said in that statement.
“We knew that this was an evolving situation, and our goal was to have a tournament that goes on without interruption,” Blanford-Green said. “But circumstances have changed with this pandemic, and the focus must now be on how we give the kids the experience of a state champ event.”
The NFHS Network is scheduled to stream the remaining games. Currently a subscription is needed to watch the streams.
CHSAA’s full statement, here
For Aurora, that affects the conclusion of state tournament play for the fourth-seeded Grandview girls basketball team — which takes on No. 1 Valor Christian at 7 p.m. Thursday — in the 5A Final Four, as well as No. 1 Rangeview and fifth-seeded Grandview boys, scheduled to play each other at 7 p.m. Friday.
Championship games are slated for Saturday.
Nebraska announced earlier Wednesday it would limited attendance to its boys state tournament to players’ immediate family members, Ohio announced that only participants’ families and media will be allowed to attend winter sports postseason tournaments and Connecticut has canceled the remainder of its winter sports seasons as well as state tournaments.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports