Coronavirus Closing: Colorado High School Basketball Tournament Canceled

(CBS4) - The Colorado High School Activities Association has canceled all of its remaining high school basketball tournaments due to the spread of coronavirus. The decision was made late Thursday night after one of the venues informed CHSAA it could no longer be a host for the games this week.

Some quarterfinal games were played on Thursday in front of no crowd at the Denver Coliseum and the University of Denver campus. Then DU officials told CHSAA Thursday evening they would no longer be able to be a venue for the Class 3A state tournament.

"With uncertainty at all additional sites, including a state of emergency declaration by the City of Denver, the difficult decision has been made to cancel the remainder of all state basketball tournaments in all classes," CHSAA officials wrote on chsaanow.com. CHSAA commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green called the coronavirus outbreak an "unprecedented public health emergency."

CHSAA Associate Athletic Director Tom Robinson said the decision to stop the tournaments in their tracks was a tough decision to make, but it had to be done to protect the students on the court.

"One of the things that the governor said that resonated with me was that everybody needs to do their part, and you're going to have to sacrifice some things which are near and dear to you," Robinson said.

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CHSAA has also suspended all spring sports until April 6.