The NCAA Tournament will not be postponed if the United States goes to war with Iraq.

“From everything we know right now, it’s in the best interests of the country to go forward,” NCAA president Myles Brand said Tuesday.

Brand consulted with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and members of the NCAA’s governing bodies before deciding.

“We felt that this was the right decision and have no hesitation whatsoever having made it,” he said.

Kansas University men’s basketball coach Roy Williams said he was satisfied with the decision but would have supported a delay if U.S. troops begin fighting in Iraq.

“We have young people there that are having their lives at stake,” he said. “That’s a lot more important than basketball. We need to back off and look at that.”

The NCAA spent four months reviewing options in case of war. The latest ultimatum President Bush delivered to Saddam Hussein “heightened the urgency of our considerations,” Brand said.

He kept open the possibility of reconsidering if unforeseeable threats emerge in coming days. Because of the current security climate, the NCAA is taking “extraordinary steps to ensure the safety of the athletes and fans,” Brand added.