The NCAA said Thursday it will consider competitive inequities in make-up games, which might help nudge schools and conferences into rescheduling games that teams such as Arizona are missing.
UCLA and Arizona both had this week open to reschedule their postponed Dec. 30 game but the Pac-12 did not order a rescheduling and UCLA went ahead and scheduled Long Beach State for Thursday.
Arizona is hoping to reschedule its postponed Jan. 2 game at USC to Saturday but the Pac-12 has not made a ruling as of midday Thursday. USC is preparing to play at Cal on Thursday night, meaning the Trojans would have to return home and quickly prepare to host UA.
The NCAA's statement said the men's and women's selection committees would consider the unavailability of players and coaches due to COVID-19 as it does with injuries and other illnesses. It didn't specifically say it would also note if a game was played with one team coming directly off a COVID pause but did say it would "continue to monitor the impact of scheduling disruptions."Β
Each committee member is typically assigned to overlook several conferences and most likely that person would note if a team was coming off a COVID pause to play a game.
However, it is unclear whether the NCAA would factor in anything for a home team playing without fans, as USC and UCLA would have to if they hosted Arizona this weekend under temporary orders those schools issued. Playing without fans also gives USC and UCLA a financial disincentive to host Arizona until fans are allowed.
The NCAA's joint statement from men's basketball committee chair Tom Burnett (the Southland Conference commissioner) and women's basketball committee chair Nina King (Duke's AD) reads as follows:
"As we typically do, the men's and women's basketball committees will track on player and coach availability via the conference monitoring program, which is an invaluable part of the evaluation process for both championships. Losses are still losses, and wins are still wins, but we will continue taking into consideration the absence of a coach or players, whether they are COVID-related or due to injury or suspension. We therefore encourage teams to honor conference-developed scheduling and rescheduling policies when the appropriate number of safe and healthy players and coaches are available to compete. Additionally, our committees will continue to monitor the impact of scheduling disruptions and consider championship eligibility requirements as necessary when the committees meet at the NCAA Convention in two weeks."
The NCAA also updated its COVID-19 guidance, which roughly parallels what the Pac-12 issued last week.Β
Essentially, vaccinated players must quarantine for five days if they test positive and can return without a mask after that time if they have no symptoms and test negative. Vaccinated players also do not have to quarantine following exposure if they are not symptomatic.
