Luis Rivera, left, sanitizes seats in Bridgestone Arena after the remaining NCAA college basketball games in the Southeastern Conference tournament were cancelled Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. The tournament was cancelled Thursday due to coronavirus concerns. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

By RALPH D. RUSSO

AP College Sports Writer

March Madness came to a screeching halt before a bracket could even be filled out.

The NCAA canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments Thursday because of the spread of coronavirus, putting an abrupt end to the season less than a month before champions were to be crowned.

The unprecedented move comes a day after the NCAA announced the games that were scheduled to start next week would go on, but played in mostly empty arenas. That plan was scrapped as every major American sports league from the NBA to MLB put the brakes on its season due to concerns about the pandemic.

“This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to the spread of the pandemic and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during the academic year given the ongoing decisions by other entities,” the NCAA said in statement.

The NCAA canceled championships in every spring sport, which include hockey, baseball and lacrosse.

The stunning end to the major college basketball season came about four hours after a frantic morning when conference tournaments around the country came to a sudden stop. Moments away from tipoff at some arenas, and minutes apart, each Power Five conference — the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern conferences — canceled its remaining games.