Pac-12 Tournament cancelled due to coronavirus, ending Washington State basketball season

LAS VEGAS – Wednesday’s nightcap between No. 11 Washington State and No. 6 Colorado at T-Mobile Arena was the final game of the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, after the conference decided to cancel the remainder of the 2020 event due to concerns about the coronavirus illness.

Dan Wolken of USA Today was the first to report on the event’s cancellation Thursday morning and the conference later released a statement confirming the event would not continue.

WSU (16-16) was scheduled to play Arizona State (20-11) in a quarterfinal game at 8:30 p.m. in Las Vegas. The Cougars’ 82-68 victory over the Buffaloes Wednesday was their first win in the conference tournament since the event moved to Vegas, and the program’s first since 2009.

The conference also acted to indefinitely suspend all other Pac-12 sporting competitions, according to a press release.

“The Pac-12 Conference has made the decision to cancel the remainder of the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament and all Pac-12 sport competitions and Pac-12 Championship events, effective immediately, until further notice,” the release read. “This decision has been made in consultation with our member universities in an effort to limit the spread of the virus and in the interest of the health and safety of our student-athletes, campus personnel, working and event personnel, and all those who attend Pac-12 events.”

Most other major and mid-major conferences, including the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, announced their tournaments would not continue due to COVID-19.