When the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament gets underway this week, it will mark the return of referee Ted Valentine after he served a two-year ban from calling tournament games.
Valentine was originally sent home from the 2021 NCAA tournament, which was held entirely in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas as a precaution due to COVID-19 after the postseason had been canceled the prior year, following contact tracing.
He was banned from the tournament because he didn’t leave the bubble when asked to, remaining at the hotel in hopes that he would test again and be allowed to officiate the Sweet 16.
Valentine did ultimately leave a few days later, but his reinstatement appeals had been denied the prior two seasons.
Referee Ted Valentine will work the NCAA tournament this season for the first time since 2019, source told @TheFieldOf68.
Valentine was one of the officials that was sent home after contact tracing in 2021, and was not allowed to work the last 2 NCAA tourneys by the NCAA due to…
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 18, 2024
As analyst Jeff Goodman notes above, it will be Valentine’s first tournament since 2019 as the 2020 tournament was canceled, and he tested positive before officiating any games in 2021.
