The Alaska School Activities Association canceled this year’s state basketball and cheerleading tournaments due to concerns over the coronavirus. It had previously been postponed.
In a statement released Saturday, the ASAA says “MarchMadness Alaska is possibly the largest statewide gathering each year and ASAA would not be acting responsibly if we were to host this year’s event.”
The move comes a day after Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered schools closed through March 30. Health officials have advocated people practice social distancing, limiting physical contact with others.
The state tournament had originally been scheduled for the week of March 15, with teams traveling from across the state to compete in Anchorage.
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
