ESPN abandons plans for college basketball bubble in Orlando
ESPN's plans to create a bubble atmosphere in Orlando for men's college basketball tournaments this upcoming season have broken down.
The network and NCAA's differing stances toward the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended guidelines for COVID-19 testing measures played a key role in the plans falling through.
"ESPN Events set out to create a protected environment for teams to participate in early season events in Orlando," the network said through a statement, courtesy of ESPN's Jeff Borzello. "Based on certain challenges surrounding testing protocols, we opted to resume these tournaments during the 2021-22 season."
Over two dozen schools were set to participate in the multi-team events. Eight of the 10 MTEs owned by ESPN slated for relocation to Orlando - the Champions Classic, Jimmy V Classic, Charleston Classic, Myrtle Beach Invitational, NIT Season Tip-Off, Wooden Legacy, Orlando Invitational, and Diamond Head Classic - will be directly impacted by the decision to abandon the bubble formation.
ESPN is optimistic they'll be able to hold the Champions Classic and Jimmy V Classic at other locations in the wake of the Orlando plans being canceled. Indianapolis is an early favorite to host both events, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.
The bubble was expected to begin on the college basketball season start date (Nov. 25).