GREENSBORO, N.C. — The ACC canceled its conference tournament on Thursday due to concerns about the coronavirus, a decision that eventually caused the NCAA to cancel its men's and women's tournaments.
The league also suspended all athletics activities, including NCAA championship events, indefinitely.
The decision came after other conferences, such as the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC, canceled their tournaments on Thursday.
According to a news release, Florida State will be the conference champion and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The tournament was canceled just before Florida State and Clemson were scheduled to tip off at 12:30 p.m. Duke and N.C. State were scheduled to play after the first game.
Earlier on Thursday, ACC commissioner John Swofford said the rest of the tournament would be played with only family members and essential staff present. That all changed less than two hours after Swofford's news conference.
Apparently, the decision was made after Duke suspended all athletics indefinitely and would not play in Thursday's game. That decision, along with Kansas' decision to suspend all athletics, helped the NCAA make the decision to cancel its tournament.
"During this unpredictable time, Duke Athletics fully supports all measures to protect the health and welfare of the Duke family and beyond. While we understand this may be daunting to many, please know that this decision is entirely in the best interest of all student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans," Duke Athletic Director Kevin White said.
White is also the men's basketball committee chair of the NCAA selections committee.
Later Thursday afternoon, according to a news release, the ACC "has suspended all athletic related activities including all competition, formal and organized practice, recruiting and participation in NCAA championships until further notice."
"This is uncharted territory and the health and safety of our student-athletes and institutions remains our top priority. This decision is aimed to protect from the further spread of COVID-19," Swofford said in a statement.