Ivy League Teams Petition to Reinstate Conference Tournaments amid Coronavirus

Rob Goldberg @TheRobGoldbergFeatured ColumnistMarch 10, 2020

FILE - In this March 17, 2019, file photo, Yale players pose for a photograph with the championship trophy after defeating Harvard in an NCAA college basketball game for the Ivy League championship at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. The Ivy League on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, canceled its men's and women's basketball tournaments because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus. The four-team tournaments were scheduled to be played Friday through Sunday at Lavietes Pavilion in Cambridge. The Ivy League instead will award its automatic NCAA Tournament bids to the regular-season champions, the Princeton women and Yale men. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

Jessica Hill/Associated Press

After the Ivy League announced Tuesday it was canceling its men's and women's basketball tournaments amid concerns about the coronavirus, member teams have started a petition to reinstate the tourney:

Gary Parrish @GaryParrishCBS
Ivy League members have started a petition to “Reinstate the Ivy League Tournament.” While I trust that the Presidents are doing what they believe is best, it’s hard not to feel bad for the coaches and players who just had a dream ripped away from them. https://t.co/gIHP0ACrJ8

"Every single team in this league devotes their entire year to reaching this level of competition," the Change.com petition read. "We feel the decision to cancel the tournament was made without enough serious consideration for the student athletes and the investments that have been made up to this point in our season. This is the pinnacle of what we have worked for since August."

It also noted other conferences are going forward with their tournaments.

Additionally, the league announced regular-season champions—Yale on the men's side and Princeton on the women's side—will automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament.

As of Tuesday, the NCAA has not made any changes to its plans for March Madness.

Harvard star Bryce Aiken noted his objections to the ruling:

Bryce Aiken @BryceAiken
Horrible, horrible, horrible decision and total disregard for the players and teams that have put their hearts into this season. This is wrong on so many levels and the @IvyLeague should do its due diligence to find a better solution. Everyone knows the risks of playing! https://t.co/HQXprzX9q6

The spread of COVID-19 has created significant concerns worldwide, including in sports that feature large gatherings of fans. The NBA has considered playing games with no spectators in the stands.

According to CNN, the disease has caused 26 deaths in the United States as of Tuesday with 732 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.