The NCAA is prepared to postpone Thursday’s basketball tournament games should a war with Iraq be announced before tip-off, according to ESPN.com.

NCAA president Myles Brand announced the possibility of postponement Monday night during a town hall meeting in Indianapolis.

The White House and the Office of Homeland Security have been in contact with the NCAA on a daily basis, but there has not been a final decision on whether games will be played as scheduled.

Brand explained that while he believes it is important to show support for the armed forces, he doesn’t want the war to dictate normal activities. "We don't know when [war] will start, and we have to be respectful of our men and women in uniform," Brand said. "On the other hand, I think we have to be very careful not to let Saddam Hussein control our lives. We have to balance those."

Tuesday night’s play-in game between Texas Southern and UNC-Asheville will go on as scheduled.

Information collected from ESPN.com