The final game of the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament will not take place. The NCAA announced on Saturday evening that the tilt between Oregon and VCU has been ruled a no-contest, citing issues due to COVID-19 with the Rams. As a result, the Ducks will move on to the round of 32.
BREAKING: Tonight’s game between Oregon and VCU has been ruled a no contest due to COVID-19 protocols, per the NCAA.
Oregon advances to the Round of 32.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 20, 2021
In a statement, the NCAA said that it could not identify specific players or personnel members who tested positive, and it is unclear if this is a matter of multiple people testing positive or contact tracing holding out close contacts.
Oregon advances to the second round after COVID-19 issues cancel the VCU-Oregon game: pic.twitter.com/Unw8Rgsn1H
— Nicole Auerbach
(@NicoleAuerbach) March 20, 2021
The game was set to be the 7-10 matchup in the West Region — Oregon was the higher-seeded of the two squads — with the winner moving on to face the winner of the 2-15 game between Iowa and Grand Canyon.