GEICO Nationals to Move From N.Y. to S.C. Amidst COVID-19 Concerns

High School National Championship Had Been Held in New York for Six Years.

For the first time in six years the boys high school basketball champion will not be crowned in New York City.

GEICO High School Nationals tournament organizers have decided to move the event to South Carolina amidst COVID-19 concerns.

Games had been held at Christ the King (Queens, N.Y.), crowning current NBA stars like Ben Simmons.

This year’s tournament will now run from April 2-4 at Dorman High School (Roebuck, S.C.).

“Due to ongoing health concerns posed by novel coronavirus (COVID-19) we have decided to move the GIECO Nationals,” Executive director of GEICO Nationals Rashid Ghazi said. “The move will allow a majority of the 12 teams participating the ability to bus to the venue. Our goal for making the location change is to provide as safe an environment as possible for the health of the student-athletes, coaches and fans. We are grateful to Christ the King for their understanding and partnership, and also to Dorman for accommodating us on extremely short notice.”

In an effort to target one of the country’s worst CLOVID-19 clusters, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered places of worship, schools and other large gathering places in a portion of New Rochelle to temporarily close.

Cuomo said there are now 212 cases in the state.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

Ghazi said that GEICO Nationals is “still evaluating fan attendance and will make an announcement closer to the event date.”