BATON ROUGE - The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will restrict attendance at March Madness venues at the 2021 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, including all rounds and the Final Four.

The decision will allow up to 25% capacity including "participants, essential staff, family and a reduced number of fans. All attendees must wear face coverings and physically distance during the event."

“We continue to use the knowledge we have gained over the season on how to conduct games in a safe environment,” said NCAA President Mark Emmert. “I want to thank our host universities and conferences, the Indiana State Health Department, and the leaders in the Marion, Monroe and Tippecanoe county health departments as they help make that possible.”

The NCAA previously announced it would stage the entire 2021 men's basketball championship in Indiana with majority of the tournament's 67 games taking place in Indianapolis.

“This year’s tournament will be like no other, and while we know it won’t be the same for anyone, we are looking forward to providing a memorable experience for the student-athletes, coaches and fans at a once-in-a-lifetime tournament,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball. “After the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, we are happy to welcome some fans back to all rounds of the Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.”

The NCAA's formalized COVID-19 health and safety protocols include testing, face coverings, physical distancing, and contact tracing requirements before teams arrive and throughout their stay.