UIL postpones state basketball tourney over virus concerns

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Officials in Texas have decided to postpone the boys’ state basketball tournament after the Thursday afternoon session for Class 3A schools.

The University Interscholastic League, which governs extracurricular activities in Texas’ public schools, said it made the call due to growing concerns about the COVID-19 virus.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

The UIL girls’ tournament concluded Saturday. The boys’ tournament started Thursday and had been scheduled to play through Saturday night, and tournament officials had earlier decided to limit the number of fans into the Alamodome in San Antonio to watch each game.

UIL officials finally decided to shut the tournament down as college and high school tournaments around the country were cancelled to suspended and professional leagues suspended play.