MSHSL alters postseason basketball tournaments

ST. PAUL -- Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Minnesota State High School League will limit the number of people at the state girls basketball and adaptive floor hockey tournaments, along with section boys basketball on Friday and Saturday.

In a press release before 1 p.m. Thursday, March 12, the MSHSL wrote that attendance at tournaments will be limited to rostered participants, coaches, event staff, TV network partners, credentialed media and a small number of school-approved spectators of each participating teams.

Starting Friday, consolation and third-place games for state girls basketball and adapted floor hockey have been cancelled.

"While the changes in our tournaments are unfortunate, we recognize that a collective community response is critical to supporting the health of our communities and mitigating the spread of COVID-19," MSHSL executive director Erich Martens said in the release.

"The MSHSL intends to do everything possible to allow participating studnets who have earned the opportunity to compete in these special tournaments to do so. We will continue to follow guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health, The Centers for Disease Control and the State of Minnesota and will work with League member schools to finish this winter season in the best way possible. We appreciate the partnership with our venues who have gone above and beyond in preparing their venues with additional cleaning and appropriate disease prevention."

Plans for events held after this weekend are still being developed and will be communicated at a later date, the MSHSL press release said.

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