NCAA not yet recommending cancellations over COVID-19 fears

The NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel doesn't currently recommend the cancellation or "public spacing" of athletic events scheduled to be held in public spaces across the United States amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus, though a statement from the panel Friday said that it "recognizes the fluidity" of the situation.

"The key is for all stakeholders and athletes to practice risk mitigation at all events," the statement said.

Still, some athletic programs have already taken precautions.

Earlier this week, Chicago State University called off a pair of basketball games for both its men's and women's teams. On Friday, a Division III tournament game between Yeshiva University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute was played in an empty gym at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Beyond the world of amateur athletics, changes to sporting events have been more common, particularly in parts of the world where more cases of the coronavirus have been reported.

Italy banned fans from all sporting events through at least April 3, a Champions League soccer match between Valencia and Atalanta will be played behind closed doors, and an Olympic qualifier between the Chinese and South Korean women's soccer teams has been relocated from China to Australia.