The coronavirus pandemic has gone global, and with more cases popping up in the United States and Canada, professional leagues here are scrambling to react to the news.
The NBA suspended its season on Wednesday after a player tested positive for COVID-19, a strain of the coronavirus. It was a bold move for the league, and a shocking one, but it appears more and more likely that other leagues will follow suit shortly.
Here, we have compiled a list of professional and amateur leagues and what decisions they have made about their response to the virus outbreak. Some leagues are playing behind closed doors. Others are in wait-and-see mode. The NBA, as we have said, has suspended the entire league indefinitely.
Let’s get to the breakdown, and we will continue to update this as we learn more.
NBA
The NBA announced on Wednesday that it was suspending its season indefinitely after news broke that a player on the Utah Jazz — reportedly center Rudy Gobert — tested positive for COVID-19. There is no word on how long the suspension will last, but the season has not been cancelled.
NBA G-League
Following the NBA’s decision to suspend its season, the G-League has also suspended its season indefinitely.
NHL
As of Thursday morning, the NHL has not suspended play, nor has it limited or denied fans from coming to games. The league is reportedly monitoring the situation, however, with an update coming later in the day. We will update when we learn more.
MLB
MLB is currently in Spring Training, where it has not limited attendees or play. Opening Day is just 14 days away, but MLB has not made any major announcements about postponing play or restricting the number of fans in the stadium.
Even if MLB wanted to go ahead, what may complicate things is that individual cities and states are declaring states of emergency and limiting large gatherings. In the meantime, MLB is reportedly looking at playing games in different locations if affected cities won’t allow large gatherings.
MLS
MLS was in wait-and-see mode on Thursday morning. It appears the league will try to hold games this weekend, and asked all visiting teams to get charter flights for travel to the away game.
That being said, with local governments issuing bans on large gatherings, the decision may be taken out of the league’s hands. Also complicating things: President Trump issued an EU-travel ban on Wednesday night, which may limit the league’s ability to sign European-based players before the May transfer deadline.
Premier League
The English Premier League will play its matches in empty stadiums going forward, according to multiple reports. A game on Wednesday between Manchester City and Arsenal was postponed. It’s unclear how long the policy will be in effect.
NCAA
Upcoming championship events, which include the men’s and women’s March Madness tournaments, will be played without fans in the stands, the NCAA said Wednesday. However, essential staff and limited family members will be allowed to attend. Similarly, conference basketball tournaments will be played with restricted attendance.
The NCAA is looking to move the Final Four away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and into a smaller venue, the Associated Press reported.
XFL
The only game impacted at this point is the Seattle Dragons’ home game Sunday. It will still be played against the Los Angeles Wildcats but without any fans at CenturyLink Field. The DC Defenders’ home game could be impacted after the D.C. Department of Health recommended against gatherings of 1,000 people or more, but the XFL is leaving that decision up to Audi Field.
PGA
The Players Championship will carry on as scheduled, but the tour said it will continue reviewing recommendations from the CDC, the World Health Organization and local officials.
NASCAR
Races are continuing as scheduled with fans in attendance, but some basic track procedures have changed. It’s recommended that driver appearances be in open-air settings, and for pre-race and post-race activities, which include driver introductions, there will be a six-foot buffer around the grid and stage.
IndyCar Series
The season-opening race, the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, will continue as scheduled, but some fan interaction has been limited.
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