The Bowdoin College women’s basketball team will play NCAA playoff games at an empty Morrell Gymnasium this weekend as a precaution to the possible spread of coronavirus. (Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald)
BRUNSWICK — After careful consideration, Bowdoin College has made the decision to conduct this weekend’s NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Sectional without spectators.
Only credentialed game operations personnel and administrative staff will be permitted to attend games held in Morrell Gymnasium on Friday and Saturday. Oglethorpe from Georgia faces Washington state-based Whitman at 5 p.m., followed by host Bowdoin entertaining Trine of Indiana at 7 p.m.
The college reached the decision after monitoring recent developments with COVID-19 in the New England region and consulting with both on and off-campus medical providers.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but at the end of the day this was the logical step to make at this time,” said Bowdoin College assistant athletic director Jim Caton. “We love the chance of hosting the NCAA regionals and sectionals. This is our bread and butter, having 1,500 fans inside Morrell Gymnasium cheering on the Polar Bears. But in this situation we have to protect the athletes.”
Although recognizing that it cannot replace the experience of being in Morrell Gymnasium this weekend, all three games will be broadcast live on the Northeast Sports Network with the Bowdoin games carried locally on WCME Radio (99.5 FM/900 AM).
“We are doing our best to make sure this weekend is special for these four teams this weekend. This is obviously a unique situation,” Caton added.
The Polar Bears, national runners-up in both of the last two seasons, look to return to the Final Four for the third straight season and fourth time in their history.
“We are so very excited to partner with the Midcoast’s premier educational institution to bring our listeners some of the very best in New England college basketball,” said WCME owner and station manager Jim Bleikamp. “We’ve developed a strong reputation for high school sports broadcasts in the Midcoast and are looking forward to expanding our coverage to fans of the Polar Bears.”
Veteran broadcasters Rob Kennedy (play-by-play) and Jarod Richmond (color) will handle the call of the game. Coverage will begin on Radio Midcoast WCME at 6:45 PM on their radio frequencies 99.5 FM and 900 AM. The game will also be streamed via their website radiomidcoast.com and via the TuneIn App.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
