The Sanford Pentagon Will Not Allow Fans for the Crossover Classic

Spectators will not be permitted inside the Sanford Pentagon for any of the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic games played over the next week, Stanford Health announced Monday.

“The situation involving COVID-19 continues to change, and at this point the safest thing we can do for the fans is to allow them to watch the Sanford Pentagon games from home,” Jeremy Cauwels, vice president at Stanford health said in a release. “We believe the bubble atmosphere can keep the players and coaches safe, but the situation with COVID-19 in the community requires keeping people apart. We realize that many people who were planning to make the trip to Sioux Falls will be disappointed, but we believe this is the right decision for all involved.”

Several teams originally scheduled to participate in the South Dakota-based event have withdrawn in recent weeks due to growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The South Dakota Department of Health reported 783 new COVID-19 cases Monday. https://t.co/cB3MbkUfaP

— Dakota News Now (@dakotanews_now) November 23, 2020

In the release, the safety measures that will take place at the event were also outlined.

• All members of each team’s traveling party must have a negative COVID-19 test within two days of traveling to Sioux Falls.
• Each member will be tested immediately upon arrival in Sioux Falls, 24 hours before their first competition and once more before the final day of play.
• All members will enter the building using a separate entrance and will only have access to the lower level of the facility.
• All members will remain in a controlled environment throughout their stay. If any member of the traveling party tests positive for COVID-19, the team will be removed from the event.

“We were very confident in the extraordinary amount of protocols we put in place to ensure everyone who stepped foot inside the Sanford Pentagon would be safe, however the most appropriate decision at this time is to not allow fans,” Steve Young, president of Sanford Sports, said. “The decision further demonstrates our commitment to the schools involved and the surrounding region that we will do everything we can to keep them safe.”

West Virginia arrived in Sioux Falls Monday afternoon, meaning the Mountaineers will have already taken multiple COVID tests by the time the tournament starts on Wednesday.

🏀🛬 Sioux Falls, S.D. #HailWV

— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) November 23, 2020

WVU is scheduled to play South Dakota State University in the first round of the event Wednesday at 7 p.m.. That game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Other first-round games on Wednesday include Saint Mary’s vs. Memphis at 2 p.m., Western Kentuck vs. Nothern Iowa at 4:30 p.m. and Utah State vs. Wichita State at 9:30 p.m. WVU will also play games on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27.

The women’s portion of the tournament, which WVU’s women’s team is not competing in, begins on Nov. 28.