Per the NCAA, one official tested positive on Monday and interacted with five other officials, and all six were sent home from the NCAA tournament bubble in Indianapolis.
Ted Valentine, John Higgins Among Officials Sent Home From NCAA Tournament Due to COVID Issues
Notre Dame v NC State | Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images
The NCAA has sent six officials home from the NCAA Tournament in Indiana due to a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent contact tracing. Some of college basketball s most notorious officials were among the group sent packing, including Ted Valentine and John Higgins. The referees were told to arrive by Sunday night and check into their hotel, but multiple officials said that the rooms weren’t ready upon their arrival, nor was there any food. Instead of having the officials wait in a secure area, they were allowed to leave for dinner and the group of Valentine, Higgins, Ayers, John Gaffney, Kipp Kissinger and Ray Natili all went to Harry & Izzy’s steakhouse in downtown Indianapolis.