Friday night’s quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament between Northern Iowa and Drake have been canceled due to the positive COVID-19 test and subsequent contract tracking within the UNI program, and Drake will advance to Saturday’s semifinals, the league announced. The contest would be the third of four for the day at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Louis was played while the league crowned a champion – and an auto-qualifying NCAA tournament – on CBS on Sunday.
“UNI and other agencies have ultimately relied on the conference policy that applies throughout the season and which presumably applied here,” Doug Elgin, commissioner of the Missouri Valley Conference, said in a statement. “It should be noted that UNI followed the procedures during their participation in the event. However, the St. Louis City Health Council, COVID, has preference over MVC protocols, and none of our institutions were aware that it all the previous communications we had with the local health authorities in St. Louis clearly indicated that the MVC complied with the CDC guidelines and the NCAA re-socialization guidelines.
“The MVC has not held the necessary discussions with local health officials to explain that the administration of the tournament will govern under the COVID orders of the St. Louis Health Commissioner. I apologize and take full responsibility for not having the administration of policies that are there, have not resolved. during this year’s tournament. ‘
The decision, to the dismay of Northern Iowa Athletic Director David Harris, ends the Panthers’ season with a record 10-15 after struggling for a season-ending operation for leading scorer AJ Green in December.
“I am frustrated and angry because our student-athletes did not have the chance to play tonight,” Harris wrote on Twitter. “The opportunity is deserved. The conference statement speaks in part to my frustration. I cannot put into words the depth of my disappointment for these young men. They deserved better.”
In addition to the revenue it generates, this conference tournament is especially important to the MVC because both Drake and Loyola Chicago are at the NCAA Tournament, according to Jerry Palm’s Bracketology. Under the most favorable conditions for the conference, both teams could make a big bid, and another team could win the league title to give the MVC three NCAA tournaments. However, both Loyola Chicago and Drake entered Friday as projected number 12 seed for the Big Dance with Drake being considered one of Jerry Palm’s “last four in”, meaning the MVC could also be a just-one league be, depending on how things shake out.
Since Drake and Loyola Chicago are bad, none of the best are able to withdraw from the tournament as a COVID-19 precaution and rest on the laurels of their current resume. But with the opportunity taking place in a single arena, there will obviously be concern that viruses are gaining ground in a way that could harm the ability of a program to continue this national season. In the semifinals, Drake will face the winner of the scheduled final quarter-final between Valparaiso and the state of Missouri, Friday night.