On Saturday morning, President Trump had a conference call with major league sports commissioners and according to ESPN, “President Donald Trump said he believes the NFL season should start on time in September.”
The call included 12 major sports commissioners and top executives, including the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, NHL, Major League Soccer, WNBA, WWE Wrestling, the PGA Tour, UFC, IndyCar, LPGA, and Breeders Cup, according to a White House pool report.
This news comes as the coronavirus has taken the world by storm cancelling all NCAA spring sports, the 2020 Olympics, suspended the NBA season, and has even delayed the start of MLB, NHL and more.
“Trump also said he hopes to have fans back in stadiums and arenas by August and September, sources said, though it is currently unclear if medical experts find that to be a realistic timeline amid the current coronavirus pandemic.”
And according to the report, Trump is also trying to come up with ways for fans to be able to attend games and events in the current economy:
“Trump also raised the idea of the leagues working together to lobby for tax credits that used to exist for entertainment expenses, such as the ability to deduct concessions and tickets from taxes, sources said. That would be a way for leagues to jumpstart fans’ ability to return to stadiums in a difficult economy.”
Although the future is full of uncertainty, this news at least brings a dose of hope as sports fans all over the world have been missing watching their favorite sports.
The NFL Draft is still scheduled to take place from April 23-25th, although it will be a virtual draft.
Fans, prospects and their families will not be present at the draft.