For the first time since the field expanded to 64, there will be no NCAA Tournament. In fact, this is the first time since 1938 there will be no tournament. That’s notable because 1939 was the first ever NCAA Tournament.

This is a crushing blow for many. Aside from the revenue created for many due to the tournament, there was just the sheer enjoyment of the games and the personal bonding over the setting up of pools among friends and co-workers. That’s all gone in 2020.

For players, it is worse. For the one-and-done players, it means they will never have a chance to play at that stage. That also means they won’t get that last opportunity to help their draft stock. For seniors, that’s it. Their last ever chance to play for their school.

That means players like Myles Powell won’t get the chance to lead Seton Hall to just their second ever Final Four. The same goes for many other college basketball players. Due to the coronavirus, they have been cheated at their chance not just to make history, but also to just leave it all on the court.

The question is where do players like Powell go from here, and what does the NCAA as entity do.

In the immediate, the NCAA should go forward with Selection Sunday. Yes, it seems so trivial, but it is a chance to reward those teams and players who had a good season. We can see if Kansas or Gonzaga was the first overall seed making them in some ways the de facto champion.

We could also see which of the bubble teams made it into the tournament. Do you reward Rutgers for not really having any significant road wins. Is the strength of the Big East enough to carry Xavier over the top?

All of this is the same debate we have every year. If nothing else, Selection Sunday would give us those debates. At a time when there is literally no sports happening anywhere, it gives us all something to debate and discuss. To a certain extent, sports fans need this. Sports television and radio also needs this.

More than that, players need for the NCAA to do right by them. No, college baskeball players did not lose a season. They all played their regular seasons without disruption. However, most lost their chances of winning a conference tournament, and they all lost a chance for glory in the NCAA Tournament.

For some schools, that was just winning a game. Others, it would be the Sweet 16 or Final Four. No matter what the bar was for them, they’re not getting their opportunity.

If a player wants that one last chance, the NCAA should give it to them. Maybe the NCAA could create a summer tournament. Certainly, television providers would line up to televise those games, and there would be many host sites eager to host those games.

Of course, for a variety of reasons, that may not be practicable. After all, what NBA team is going to allow their recently drafted player to play in that tournament? Of course, the NBA could have a similar tournament with these players much like the Rookie-Sophomore All-Star Game, but that is not likely going to happen, especially with the NBA trying to figure out its season.

That brings us to what may be the best solution. Give those players one more year of eligibility and let them return one more year as a scholarship athlete.

https://twitter.com/Myles_MBP_23/status/1238477951571804160?s=20

There is literally no harm in doing this. After all, the NCAA wants us all to believe it is primarily an academic institution. By inviting student-athletes back to school for another year, they are fulfilling their academic mission. As a sports enterprise, they are bringing back well known collegiate players raising the profile of the sport for another year and creating a potentially even more competitive season and tournament.

Overall, there is really no good reason for the NCAA to note give players one additional year of eligibility to recognize the fact these student-athletes were cheated at a chance to win a championship. When you look at it that way, you can reasonably expect the NCAA to do what it normally does and reject the notion with specious reasoning.