The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Friday that Georgia Tech would advance to the ACC Championship final due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Virginia program.
The semifinal game between Georgia Tech and Virginia was canceled after a “positive test, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Virginia program,” SportsCenter reported. Duke saw its basketball season end early with a positive coronavirus test Thursday within its program.
Breaking: The ACC announced that the Georgia Tech vs. Virginia game has been canceled following a positive test, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Virginia program.
Georgia Tech will advance to the men’s ACC Tournament championship game. pic.twitter.com/U5gs4GgBhl
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 12, 2021
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips emphasized the conference’s commitment to health and safety in a statement shared Friday. (RELATED: How Will Limited Capacity Affect March Madness Games?)
A statement from Commissioner Jim Phillips: pic.twitter.com/GZrXAmy71v
— The ACC (@theACC) March 12, 2021
“I’m heartbroken for our student-athletes, coaches and support staff at both Duke and Virginia,” Phillips said. “Our teams have worked incredibly hard and sacrificed so much throughout this season.”
“We continue to be led by our ACC Medical Advisory Group and the protocols put in place that have allowed our to safely compete during the 2020-21 season,” Phillips continued. “We will follow the lead of our medical personnel to ensure the health and safety of our programs remain the top priority.”
“Our student-athletes and schools have been remarkable this entire season while enduring incredibly challenging circumstances,” the statement concluded.
It would absolutely suck to make it this far in the season, just to have the whole thing shut down because of COVID-19. It’s great for Georgia Tech since they get to advance, but will they have earned it?
I guess we’ll find out during the championship game.