In Tuesday’s college basketball matchup between Boston University and Holy Cross, both teams will be wearing masks on the hardwood. This is the first college basketball game in history where teams are required to wear masks while on the court.
This mask mandate comes after Boston University announced Monday that all opponents will wear masks during games hosted at BU. However, it was originally assumed that masks would only be required when on the bench.
Boston University’s rule is absurd, to say the least. The Patriot League has strict testing policies that determine player eligibility. Moreover, Holy Cross students are required to get tested twice a week, and they must immediately receive a test if they show any symptoms. Requiring masks during games is nothing more than extreme virtue signaling.
This mandate will certainly hinder play. Health “experts” are apparently not worried about how wearing a mask could easily prevent players from adequately recovering when fatigued. Nor do they care about how many times the masks could accidentally blind players during transition play. Many struggle to keep their masks from falling off when walking; imagine trying to dunk a basketball wearing one.
Holy Cross and Boston University are the first schools to require these draconian mandates, but they will not be the last. Canceling the 2020 college basketball season started in Northeastern colleges, meaning this precedent could easily spread if the Ivy League, Colonial, or NEC follow the Patriot League’s model.
What is more concerning is Boston College is just two miles away from Boston University. If Boston College were to follow BU’s lead, the ACC could require masks during college basketball games. Furthermore, Providence College is less than 40 minutes away from Holy Cross, so the Big East could easily join in on this mask mania.
No college basketball fan wants to see a Final Four with masks, and if requiring masks becomes the standard, Tuesday’s Boston University-Holy Cross matchup could be the most notable college basketball game of the season.
