It took one positive COVID-19 test to force the removal of six referees ahead of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, including Ted Valentine, John Higgins and Roger Ayers, per Stadium.
From Stadium: “The NCAA brought 60 officials instead of the normal 100 to Indianapolis to work the NCAA Tournament during March Madness. One of the protocols in place was that the referees were not allowed to leave the hotel once they arrived unless it was to go to the arena. 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.