NCAA Tournament to be held in bubble, potentially Indianapolis

There have been rumblings for months that the 2021 NCAA Tournament could be held in a bubble-like environment, and those plans were confirmed on Monday.

The NCAA has announced that the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament will be held in a single geographic location. There were previously 13 sites that were going to host preliminary round games, but that number is being reduced to one “to enhance the safety and well-being of the event.”

While the NCAA has not decided upon an official location, preliminary talks are being held with the State of Indiana to host the 68-team tournament around the Indianapolis area.

The goal, obviously, is to limit travel during the pandemic. The NBA and NHL both finished their seasons in bubble environments, and those plans were considered a success.

Many felt an NCAA tourney bubble was inevitable after seeing these trademark filings several months ago. There was also talk about potentially hosting a massive tournament and including every team, but that seems highly unlikely.