March Madness is canceled

In a day full of cancelations and delays, this might be the biggest blow of all. On Thursday, the NCAA made the decision to cancel all remaining winter and spring championships, including March Madness, over concerns about the novel coronavirus. NJ.com noted that the decision is "an extraordinary one, considering the NCAA still held its championship events during World War II."

Kyle Boone of CBS Sports lamented the move on Thursday. "It sucks for fans. It sucks for players. It sucks for coaches," he tweeted. "The whole thing sucks. No sugarcoating it."

March Madness is one of the biggest American sporting events of the year, with around 70 million tournament brackets completed and about $10.4 billion wagered in all. By some estimates, the event results in a productivity loss of around $6.3 billion, WalletHub reports.

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Also on Thursday, MLS and the NHL suspended their seasons. MLB suspended spring training, and announced it would move its opening day back at least two weeks.