section: | slug: how-mohegan-suns-bubbleville-set-a-template-for-how-college-basketballs-season-and-postseason-can-work | sport: collegebasketball | route: article_single.us | Maine, in fact, tested negative upon arrival but had a backlog of tests from three days prior that finally returned from the lab with one positive. The assurance and access of this comes with personal responsibility. "It's not a perfect bubble," Lattner said. The casino has its temptations as well, and with the exception of one instance of two people on one team breaking the rules -- including a failed attempt at getting past security -- organizers said all others have complied. And although we all trust our abilities to succeed, we continue to learn and adjust on a daily basis.". In this kind of state, when we're talking about the future of sports in any other realm, that's not possible for everyone.". This is a raging pandemic and state health officials are being pulled in dozens of directions at all times. I spoke with almost every head coach who has checked in, and all have raved about their experiences. Mohegan Sun Planning “Bubbleville” Early Season College Hoops Events Basketball NCAA Sports October 27, 2020 Dave Clark Arizona State 1 Baylor 2 boston college 2 BYU 1 college basketball 16 FLorida 7 Louisville 1 Mohegan Sun … California's Santa Clara County has in the past few days banned group activities, including close-contact sports. Mike White and Florida arrive Tuesday evening. If nothing else, a workable blueprint has been established. Those positives were caught via PCR, meaning they never truly entered the "bubble." Jay Wright and Villanova prepare at shootaround. The third-ranked Wildcats and the Hokies both had games canceled against Temple after the Owls had positive COVID-19 testing results, and agreed to play each other. Mohegan Sun, a resort casino in Uncasville, Conn., will be the home to nearly 45 games for nearly 40 college basketball teams when the season starts on Nov, 25, CBS Sports 's Matt Norlander … So as of Tuesday afternoon, no one has tested positive after being cleared via initial PCR test and quarantine, Lattner said. 20 Ducks will play Virginia Tech and Missouri at Mohegan Sun Arena in … 1:30 PM - Towson vs. Virginia (FloSports), 4:00 PM - San Francisco vs. UMass Lowell (FloSports), 7:00 PM - 2k Empire Classic: Arizona State vs. Rhode Island (ESPN), 9:30 PM - 2k Empire Classic: Villanova vs. Boston College (ESPN), 3:30 PM - San Francisco vs. Towson (FloSports), 7:00 PM - 2k Empire Classic Consolation Game:  Boston College vs. Rhode Island (ESPN), 9:30 PM - 2k Empire Classic Championship Game: Villanova vs. Arizona State (ESPN), 11:30 AM – HomeLight Classic: Virginia vs. San Francisco (ESPN), 2:00 PM - Central Connecticut vs. Army (FloSports), 5:30 PM - Air Force Reserve HOF Tip-Off: Rhode Island vs. South Florida (ESPN3), 8:00 PM - Air Force Reserve HOF Tip-Off: Virginia Tech vs. Villanova (ESPNU), 5:30 PM - Air Force Reserve HOF Tip-Off: San Francisco vs. Rhode Island (ESPNU), 8:00 PM - Air Force Reserve HOF Tip-Off: Virginia Tech vs. South Florida (ESPN2), 6:00 PM - Boston College vs. St. John's (ESPNU), 2:30 PM - Roman Legends Classic: USC vs. BYU (ESPN2), 5:00 PM - Villanova vs. Hartford  (ESPN2), 5:00 PM - Roman Legends Classic: St. John's vs. BYU (ESPN2), 7:30 PM - Air Force Reserve HOF Tip-Off: Drexel vs. Quinnipiac (FloSports), 2:00 PM - Air Force Reserve HOF Tip-Off: Quinnipiac vs. Drexel (FloSports), 4:30 PM - North Carolina State vs. UMass Lowell (ESPNU), 7:00 PM - Roman Legends Classic: UConn vs. USC (ESPN), 9:30 PM - Roman Legends Classic: Florida vs. Boston College (ESPN), 6:30 PM - Jimmy V Women's Classic: Louisville vs. DePaul (ESPN). It's working and they'll probably push for it to happen come January when conference play happens. Rachel Lattner is a nurse practitioner and an independent COVID compliance officer. We are now nine days into this unprecedented experiment known as "Bubbleville," a bold endeavor to try and pull off nearly two weeks worth of nonconference games with the curiosity (dashed with a healthy dose of skepticism) of the college sports industry looking on from afar, across the nation. More than 2,000 tests have been completed between nasal and saliva testing -- testing happens on site every day -- and in a testament to the strength of the event, although there were a couple of instances where non-team personnel tested positive upon arrival with a nasal PCR test, everyone who cleared quarantine has remained negative as of Tuesday afternoon. Basketball Hall of Fame and Gazelle Group Complete 26 Games in “Bubbleville” at Mohegan Sun with COVID-Testing and Protocols in Place. 0:59 The University of Vermont men's basketball team will play in a multi-team event called "Bubbleville" at Mohegan Sun, the school's athletic department said on Friday afternoon. "Nobody is bulletproof from the COVID-19 pandemic. The truth is, college hoops may have to try regardless. It's the only place in college sports doing this on such a grand scale to this point. 3:30 pm ET. Sort of fitting that a place that sells itself on hope and prosperity more than maybe any other industry -- a casino -- is the stage and template to tie together a season. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: collegebasketball | pageType: stories | Since then, every team that has entered has played. Mohegan Sun is the trial balloon. "There is absolutely nothing that compares to this experience," Procino said. Jay Wright has straight up not let his team leave for fear of losing unnecessary games. Bubbleville will house several events relocated and reimagined due to COVID … © 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. 6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories. That's really what we're talking about here. Between on- and off-site guidance, nearly 10 professionals have been dedicated to the endeavor. Like any trip to the slots and tables, it's going to take gumption, discipline and, true as ever, a hell of a lot of luck. UMass Basketball To Play In “Bubbleville” At Mohegan Sun Final game schedule, game times and television broadcast details will be released at a later date. (Teams are Tier 1 status.) The packed schedule has earned the resort the nickname “Bubbleville… That's the key data point, and if it can remain true until the end of Bubbleville it will give college administrators real hope this can be attempted and replicated. Welcome to a college basketball experience unlike any other. Masks on at all times except during meals or competition, or when you're in your hotel room. Bubbleville Pod Three will include Buffalo (Mid-American Conference), Iona (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference), and Vermont (America East Conference). With the announcement of the three games at Mohegan Sun… Team itineraries read things like "TEAM MOVEMENT: 1:30 P.M." so they rove in packs at once. "The experience I had with the WNBA was very helpful and I applied a lot here with what we did there," Lattner said. November 29, 2020. Security is waiting on all floors at every hour. To put it plainly: an early season college basketball bubble operation couldn't possibly expect the Connecticut Health Department (or other states' health departments) to be ready at all hours of the day to take phone calls and spend countless hours facilitating. She's been one of the most important people in the process of planning and executing Bubbleville. We can talk about different ways we're helping each other be as safe as possible but it's up to the individual teams, the contractors, ESPN, media, we all have to keep each other accountable. Bubbleville is an 11-day, 46-game event at Mohegan Sun, produced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Gazelle Group. A lot of uneasiness loomed over the entire event last Tuesday when Stephen F. Austin had one member of its traveling party test positive, which forced it to leave immediately and find a flight home. All Rights Reserved. Games will be played 25 November – 5 December 2020 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event, dubbed "Bubbleville… Though multiple vaccines should soon be available to those most in need and most at risk, the reality is the majority of everyday Americans will not be able to receive a vaccine for months. Then a quick tuck up the cement ramp and into Mohegan Sun Arena. Mohegan Sun ‘bubbleville’ schedule includes 40 teams, 45 games in 11 days, including UConn men, women » The UConn men and women will both be in for three games, which could end up … UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- All Tony Bennett wanted was a candy bar and they wouldn't let him get it. That's why we're reinforcing what we've been saying, 'Please, do not go out to the bars. Do not go out to the restaurants.' Don't forget about Thursday night … Bubbleville is home to several events relocated … What's made this feasible to this point is the attitude and environment that surrounds the event. Bubbleville … A two-week basketball bubble is just one more item on the list. It was a pretty secure 'bubble.' Dan Hurley and UConn will bus in from the northern part of the state on Wednesday. Copyright © 2021, Basketball Hall of fame. They're not needed for that at Mohegan. Men's Basketball October 30, 2020. Forty NCAA Division I men’s and women’s teams will … FULL RELEASE. Mohegan Sun, which sits on protected tribal land in Uncasville, Connecticut, will take the sport's main stage for a week-plus when the season starts Nov. 25. Only two teams (Stephen F. Austin and Maine) have arrived and had their combined four games canceled. That's it. USC coach Andy Enfield joked on Tuesday that normally it's the graduate assistants who are on curfew/room-check duty at the hotel. Then they immediately test via a nasal PCR upon arrival and quarantine until cleared. I, along with most other people working inside Bubbleville, am Tier 2. Giles said there will be just north of 1,000 people by the end of the event who will have been designated Tier 1 or Tier 2. Between the two of them there are decades of involvement in putting on major college basketball events. For college basketball, which is trying to stage a season in the midst of a once-in-a-hundred-years pandemic, it figures to be ravaging. CBS Sports reports that the Mohegan Sun resort casino, located on protected tribal land in Connecticut, will host some 40 men’s and women’s programs from the period of Nov. 25 to Dec. 5, both for multi-team events and single games. The Massachusetts basketball team has announced it will open its season at the Mohegan Sun Arena, in what will be known as “Bubbleville.” These games will start Nov. 25 and last until Dec. 2. Schools even as late as Tuesday afternoon were still inquiring about trying to squeeze in a game; one source said Saint Louis was one of them. Those, plus one more trail that leads to the practice courts in the back of the Expo Center, are the only routes of access for teams. Games will be played November 25 – December 5, 2020 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, will host more than 30 college basketball teams from seven conferences during games in November and December in what is being called … The Mohegan Sun’s experiment in Covid-safe sports tournament protocols, which became known as Bubbleville, was extended to basketball. There is a model in-build here, but it's not flawless and there are still five days to go. The rules here are strict. More than two dozens teams have made their way to southeastern Connecticut and there have been 18 games days through seven days with another nine still on the schedule. They've spearheaded this effort for months and combined forces to make it possible. Bubbleville is home to several events relocated due to COVID-19, and provides a controlled environment with teams and event staff adhering to tribal, government, and NCAA health and safety protocols and testing requirements. Both coaches told me they're so eager to get in and to allow their teams to play some high-profile games. From there, it's another 400-or-so paces of winding through halls and alleyways to get into the underground arrival bay for buses and trucks. This applies to Stanford basketball just as much as it does the San Francisco 49ers. That means daily changes to the schedule. Organizers are not out of the southeastern Connecticut woods yet, but the Mohegan Sun resort and casino's attempt at staging a never-done-before college sports venture to this point -- hold on, I'm going to need to grab all of the wood to knock on -- has been a genuine success. The messaging has been clear and consistent. Bubbleville will come to a close on Saturday. It's personal accountability.". Keep yourselves accountable and keep everyone around you accountable. The Virginia Cavaliers will tip-off their 2020-21 college basketball season Wednesday, November 25th in ‘Bubbleville’ at Mohegan Sun the … I too had to provide a negative test before arriving and then took a PCR test immediately upon arrival, had to quarantine in my hotel room overnight and wait into the next afternoon before my test cleared. Since Mohegan Sun has its own health department, which is holding to uncompromising standards (getting a casino up and running in a pandemic is a huge undertaking), that has streamlined communication for organizers. Mohegan Sun rests on tribal land, so it is subject to its own statutes and guidelines. This traces back to Virginia coach Tony Bennett wanting candy. "It's not a perfect bubble. So if a coach wants to leave his floor, he needs security (and a damn good reason). Bubbleville is an 11-day, 46-game event at Mohegan Sun, produced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Gazelle Group. All rights reserved. National health experts have for months been predicting a grim winter for the United States in regard to physical and mental health. When I'm outside my hotel room, my mask is on at all times, unless I'm eating, and even then when I eat I am not within 25 feet of anyone. After that, whenever teams leave their hotel floors they require a security guard to take them through the service exit to reach the service elevator, then go down to the back-of-house bay of elevators -- those huge, steel ones that could fit an overgrown cow (or a team with four 7-footers). This is not a true bubble, but it's probably as close to one as college basketball could provide. More evidence of Bubbleville's viability: a few people who were not affiliated with teams tested positive upon arrival. We certainly don't have all the answers and have no playbook, but we have the right team that has gotten us this far.". There are no exceptions. Bubbleville will house several events relocated and reimagined due to COVID … UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Final plans were announced Thursday for 11 days of college basketball this month inside a modified bubble at the Mohegan Sun resort casino in Connecticut.The event, dubbed “Bubbleville… Teams have to pay to play; the costs are significant, but it's the cost of holding a season. "The NBA had a perfect bubble and they also had, let's be real, pretty much an unlimited budget. "When Maine and Stephen F. Austin had to leave that first morning, it shocked my system," Giles said. Multiple floors have been cordoned off only to teams, officials, media and other personnel designated as "Tier 1" or "Tier 2." Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world. A huge benefit is the Mohegan Health Department. Other California counties, and even other counties in other states, could soon follow with similar edicts if coronavirus cases balloon as expected throughout December (Thanksgiving bump) and January (Christmas lag). However, it reinforces how important it is to have tight protocols and we have been fortunate that our testing and security has enabled us pull this off.". The school left in an abundance of caution. As much as these things are available, we need to be smart. There's a fine line between accommodating as many schools as is reasonably possible and flirting with danger. When that happens, college basketball's commissioners and school presidents will be forced to make decisions. Bubbleville is a joint venture between the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Mohegan Sun Casino and the Gazelle Group. Tony Bennett (Photo: Jamie Schwaberow, Getty). Laugh along with hilarious comedians or catch a live band at Comix Roadhouse. UNCASVILLE, Conn. (WWLP) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Gazelle Group on Tuesday announced schedule updates for the season-opening of “Bubbleville.” There … Uncasville, CT – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Gazelle Group today announced the complete schedule of matchups for the season-opening event known as “ Bubbleville.” Games will be played November 25 – December 5, 2020 at Mohegan Sun … It has demonstrated a possibly viable method for ensuring the … The assurance and access of this comes with personal responsibility. The WNBA was very much a bubble but not a perfect bubble. Bubbleville was a 10-day event, played in a bubble at Mohegan Sun, with a game schedule that continually evolved and adapted with COVID-19 in mind. Which is all to say that what's happening in Uncasville is important for the survival of college basketball's season. We were fortunate that we had access to testing every day and fortunate to have the security team and everyone on site to help support that bubble. "There are definitely potential holes. And for the first 10 of its 11 days, it was considered a … "It's not unusual to hit a few speed bumps when staging an event but we began losing teams to COVID issues an hour after we announced our schedule. November 12, 2020. Greg Procino, vice president of basketball operations for the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, is one of the event's visionaries and organizers alongside Gazelle Group CEO Rick Giles. Mohegan Sun is the trial balloon. Florida’s 2020-21 basketball season, which was supposed to begin last week at the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Bubbleville event at Mohegan Sun, was delayed due to an outbreak of COVID … UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Final plans were announced Thursday for 11 days of college basketball this month inside a modified bubble at the Mohegan Sun resort casino in Connecticut. UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Final plans were announced Thursday for 11 days of college basketball this month inside a modified bubble at the Mohegan Sun resort casino in Connecticut. CBS Sports has obtained the … She spent 95 days in the WNBA bubble as that league's … It's been prosperous enough at this point that a handful of schools have been enticed (Villanova the poster one) to add games on a whim for the sake of scheduling insurance. There's another well-learned route -- only for teams and specific staff, not for public access -- that takes them to the convention center, where testing and warm meals are provided. Rachel Lattner is a nurse practitioner and an independent COVID compliance officer. We don't eat in the same area of the resort, let alone being fed by the same people or using the same eating stations, as the teams. The Bubbleville schedule is subject to change at any time due to COVID-related circumstances beyond control. But for Mohegan Sun health officials, it's manageable and a top priority. EUGENE — Oregon’s nonconference schedule will feature two Power 5 opponents in “Bubbleville.” The No. She spent 95 days in the WNBA bubble as that league's medical director and nurse practitioner. St. Bonaventure vs. Duquesne odds, picks, sims, Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest odds, picks, sims, McDermott suspended for 'plantation' analogy, College basketball coaching changes tracker, Winners and losers: Michigan, Baylor cruise, McDermott suspended for using 'plantation' analogy, Villanova star Gillespie out for year with torn MCL, New HBCU All-Star Game heading to CBS in 2022, Paramount+ launches with plenty of hoops on menu, OSU's Cunningham repeats as Frosh of the Week. Others would have relished this opportunity. And the need to be nimble and adapt on the fly has been continuous throughout this entire process.". Add into that the layers of extra measures and plans needed from a health-and-safety protocol to carry out an event that has not existed in this type of format inside of our sport. Mohegan Sun to host roughly 35 college basketball teams for 'Bubbleville' Zac Wassink, Yardbarker 10/23/2020 Tree boom, suncatchers, tracing changes: News from around our 50 states "This is a team effort from everyone and if there is a way to replicate this in another way later in the year, it will come down to a high level of teamwork that includes people that work closely on the sport and people that are independent, neutral parties with a medical background that can help asses protocol and risk to execute the safest event possible," Procino said. Villanova opened the season with all its first four games at Mohegan Sun Arena. Two coaches have told CBS Sports they already have contingency plans in place to relocate out of their state or area if and when local health officials ban their teams from gathering. PRINCETON, N.J. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Gazelle Group today announced the complete schedule of matchups for the season-opening event known as “Bubbleville.”Games will be played November 25 – December 5, 2020 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. A dedicated, mobile-friendly website built to provide information and resources has also helped. And if you don't have those resources readily available, you don't have games. The Mohegan Sun bubble provided a place for college basketball to get a season started and play a chunk of nonconference games. Hartford Healthcare has been the provider for coronavirus testing and lab access. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame // 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue, Springfield MA The Florida men’s basketball team has pulled out of the Bubbleville tournament at Mohegan Sun and Casino because of issues related to a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent … at "This experience has been a daily, round-the-clock rollercoaster that has forced all parties involved to be nimble and flexible. "Candidly, it worried me about how this was going to work out. Nova's first four games have been in Bubbleville. First, every team that comes here has to provide negative tests for all in the travel party within 24 hours of leaving. Bubbleville's appeal has extended to schools both close (UConn, Boston College, Hartford) and far (San Francisco, USC, BYU). UMass will be one of over 30 Division I teams competing at Bubbleville… But the time has just about run out for any late-stage arrangements. A world at play and a world to its own, Mohegan Sun offers the best in entertainment. Villanova and Hartford to Join Bubbleville … "It has been unlike anything we have ever done," Giles said. There are definitely potential holes. Here's a picture to paint for how this works. It's not just about you, it's about making this whole thing a success. Players and coaches are looking for a little bit of normalcy, but more than that, something that feels as close to a guarantee as possible.