Virginia Cavaliers

Bracket Forecast: COVID puts seasons in jeopardy for Virginia, Kansas

Updated Mar. 12, 2021 5:53 p.m. ET

As the sporting world lurches toward a return to normal, we occasionally get a reminder that we’re not quite there yet.

Such was the case Friday morning, when it was announced that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets would advance to the ACC championship game — not because of anything they did on the court but because their would-be semifinal opponent, Virginia, had to bow out after a positive COVID-19 test within the program.

More bad news came later in the day, this time from the Big 12 Conference and the Kansas Jayhawks.

Just a day earlier, Duke saw its season come to an end for the same reason. In the case of the Blue Devils, who struggled to a 10th-place finish in the ACC, it was an easy call to end the season.

For Virginia and Kansas, it’s not so simple. The Cavaliers, who won the national championship in 2019 – the last time the tournament was held – are 18-6 and ranked No. 16 in the AP’s Top 25 poll. Kansas is 19-8 and ranked 11th.

According to FOX Sports bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy, Virginia is currently slated as a No. 5 seed, while Kansas is a No. 3.

What will happen next for the Cavs and Jayhawks is a bit unclear, but it’s quite possible that neither team will be allowed to participate in the NCAA Tournament.

According to Dana O’Neil of The Athletic, the NCAA requires seven straight days of negative tests upon arrival in Indianapolis, and all participating teams must be there by Monday.

If Virginia and Kansas cannot play, the NCAA will designate potential replacement teams, likely from the "First Four Out." According to DeCourcy, those teams could be Seton Hall, Saint Louis, Ole Miss and Boise State.