Two state boys basketball games moving from Farmingdale State amid coronavirus concerns
Farmingdale State College seen here on Feb. 18, 2019. Credit: Johnny Milano
Two high school boys basketball state tournament games scheduled for this weekend at Farmingdale State will be moved after the state university pulled out over concerns about the coronavirus, an official said.
The games, featuring teams from Amityville, Baldwin, Brentwood and Elmont, were scheduled to be played Sunday, but the university decided Monday it will no longer let outside groups use their facilities amid the outbreak, according to Pat Pizzarelli, executive director of Section VIII, the governing body of high school sports in Nassau.
“Farmingdale informed us [Monday] about the change, and we are currently seeking other facilities to host the games,” Pizzarelli said. “The games will be played.”
A statement on the university’s website read: “Out of an abundance of caution, please be advised that the College is canceling or postponing all external and our own internal non-athletic events with anticipated attendance of 50 or more people through March 31, 2020. This will allow us to focus our cleaning and preventive measures on mission critical functions. We very much regret the inconvenience and will work to reschedule events, if possible.”
Elmont is scheduled to play Amityville in a state Class A quarterfinal followed by Baldwin against Brentwood in a state Class AA quarterfinal. The winners will advance to the state tournament the following weekend in Glens Falls.
Pizzarelli said he hoped to have a new venue on Tuesday.
Farmingdale State made the decision Monday in part to give high schools time to find a new venue, according to Pat Calabria, Farmingdale State vice president for institutional advancement.
“We didn’t want to be in a position of being forced to cancel only a day or two ahead,” he said. “We wanted to give the schools enough time to find another location.”
Two girls basketball state tournament quarterfinal games are still scheduled to be played Sunday at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, according to Tom Combs, the executive director of Section XI, the governing body of high school sports in Suffolk.
Jim Baumbach is an award-winning investigative reporter at Newsday, where he has worked since 1998. He spent two decades in the sports department, where he covered every professional team and league, including events such as the Super Bowl and World Series.
