The Latest on Sports and COVID-19:
Indianapolis 500 To Be Held Without Fans

Simon Pagenaud leads a restart during the 2019 Indianapolis 500. Photo by Stephen King/IndyCar Media

The coronavirus outbreak has forced difficult decisions for the sports-event industry. Nearly every major sporting event has been canceled, moved or postponed. Here is a look at where things stand.

Tuesday, August 4

AUTO RACING: Indianapolis 500 To Be Held Without Fans

One of the biggest sporting events in the world will be held without spectators this year as the Indianapolis 500, which was rescheduled from Memorial Day Weekend to August 23 in the hopes of being able to allow fans at the race, announced that it will instead be held without spectators on hand at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“This tough decision was made following careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership,” the track said in a statement. “As dedicated as we were to running the race this year with 25 percent attendance at our large outdoor facility, even with meaningful and careful precautions implemented by the city and state, the COVID-19 trends in Marion County and Indiana have worsened. Since our June 26 announcement, the number of cases in Marion County has tripled while the positivity rate has doubled. We said from the beginning of the pandemic we would put the health and safety of our community first, and while hosting spectators at a limited capacity with our robust plan in place was appropriate in late June, it is not the right path forward based on the current environment.”

Track officials had released a plan for social distancing throughout the complex to allow for 25 percent of capacity to attend and earlier vowed it would cancel the event rather than hold it without fans. The Indianapolis 500 will run for the 104^th time this month and traditionally draws over 257,000 fans each year.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Big 12 Conference Adopts 9+1 Football Schedule

The Big 12 Conference became the latest and last of the Power 5 conferences to adjust its football schedules for the 2020 season, announcing that it will play nine conference games and have one non-conference home game for each of its member schools.

The start of conference play will be announced at a later date, with some schools planning on having a non-conference game as soon as late-August. The adjusted schedule also allows for the Big 12 Championshi game to be moved to as late as December 19, which is in line with what the other Power 5 conferences have scheduled.

“I would like to salute the work of our university presidents and chancellors, athletics directors, coaches, medical advisors and administrators who have worked tirelessly and collaboratively during these extraordinary times,” said Commissioner Bob Bowlsby.  “We believe this change provides the best opportunity going forward.  However, we will undoubtedly need to be flexible as we progress through the season in order to combat the challenges that lie ahead.”

The Big 12 and ACC will be the only Power 5 conferences to allow for a non-conference game. The SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12 will be going conference only with their football schedules.

Monday, August 3

BASEBALL: More Games Postponed Because of Cardinals’ COVID Outbreak

Major League Baseball has announced that a four-game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers has been postponed because of an outbreak of COVID-19 throughout the Cardinals team, with 13 members between players and staff testing positive for the virus in the past week.

The postponement comes after the Cardinals’ three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park was also postponed. The MLB statement said the Cardinals “which has been in quarantine since Thursday, will stay in Milwaukee and their personnel will continue to be tested daily. The tentative plan is for the team to resume its regular schedule on Friday against the Chicago Cubs in St. Louis.”

This is the second outbreak of COVID-19 throughout a MLB team. The Miami Marlins had more than a dozen players contract the virus, while has forced the postponement of six games so far along with postponements for the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees since the Phillies hosted the Marlins as the outbreak spread throughout the team. MLB’s season, already shortened to 60 games, was affected before it even started with the Toronto Blue Jays were forced to play its “home” games in Buffalo, New York, after Canadian officials denied the team the ability to play home games in Toronto, citing concern over U.S. teams traveling into the country.

The Cardinals were later scheduled this month to play the Chicago White Sox in the inaugural “Field of Dreams” game in Dyersville, Iowa, although multiple reports say that game will be called off.

NFL: Raiders’ Inaugural Season In Las Vegas To Be Held Without Fans

The Las Vegas Raiders became the latest NFL team to tell season ticket holders that it will not have fans at home games this season — which will be the team’s inaugural season in Las Vegas and at Allegiant Stadium, which just received its Certificate of Occupancy in recent days. The $1.97 billion facility was also scheduled to host the Pac-12 championship game in December before the conference moved all of its games to campus sites.

“There is nothing more important to the Raider Organization than the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff, stadium workers and fans,” the team said in the statement to season ticket holders. “After intensive consultation with healthcare officials and state and community leaders, we have made the difficult decision to play the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 inaugural season at Allegiant Stadium without fans in attendance. This decision is based on our commitment to protect the health of our fans and the entire community in response to the coronavirus pandemic affecting us all. This decision also ensures fairness to you, our PSL holders, given the challenges and potential inequities associated with determining who can and cannot attend specific games if the stadium were to operate at a reduced capacity. While the current situation is not how any of us envisioned celebrating the opening of Allegiant Stadium, when circumstances permit we look forward to sharing an unparalleled game day experience in the magnificent stadium you helped build.”

CYCLING: Colorado Classic Publishes COVID Mitigation Plan

After canceling its event due to increased concerns around a spike in new COVID-19 cases nationwide, the Colorado Classic has published its COVID-19 Mitigation Plan in the hope it will offer assistance to other event organizers, teams and riders as the sport continues to grapple with the pandemic.

The Classic is a professional women’s cycling race that was scheduled for four destinations across the state. In its place, organizers launched the #WeRide for Women fundraiser and virtual ride, which is intended to financially support the teams that would have competed. Earlier this year, organizers had proposed staging the August race but eliminating crowd gatherings. But new COVID-19 cases in Colorado and other restrictions made even the competition difficult to move forward.

“We spent months recognizing and researching the key elements for a successful COVID mitigation plan applicable to a professional cycling event,” said Lucy Diaz, chief executive officer of RPM Events Group LLC. “It was a very collaborative process that included medical professionals, bio labs, state, county and city health officials and cycling industry professionals. We studied the protocols that were being put into place in our surrounding communities and what was being proposed in other professional sports.”

The plan was developed in concert with current Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment guidelines and integrates policy and protocol as established by the cycling governing bodies of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and USA Cycling. The plan takes into account the Colorado Classic’s first step toward a safe racing environment, which was the creation of a “Made for TV Streaming” model. This format eliminated crowd gathering opportunities and amplified their innovative live streaming model instead.

TRIATHLON: 2020 USA Triathlon Off-Road Nationals Canceled

USA Triathlon has canceled its Off-Road National Championships scheduled for May 16, then rescheduled for September 13, at Wawayanda State Park in Hewitt, New Jersey. The 2021 event will return to Hewitt on May 15. The 2021 event will serve as a qualifier for both the 2021 and 2022 ITU Age Group Cross Triathlon World Championships, which will be held in Almere-Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Townsville, Australia, respectively.

“Unfortunately, current COVID-19 restrictions in New Jersey eliminate the possibility of drawing a national field for this event,” said Brian D’Amico, director of events at USA Triathlon. “While it is always disappointing to cancel a national championship, we are confident this is the only feasible decision that is fair to all athletes.”

Athletes who were registered for the 2020 event have the option to participate in one of the age-group races at the Way Over Yonder Off-Road Triathlon & Duathlon, which is still scheduled for September 13, provided they can abide by New Jersey’s COVID-19 restrictions. They will also receive a special 30% off discount code toward the 2021 race.

Saturday, August 1

AUTO RACING: IndyCar Postpones Race Weekend in Ohio

The IndyCar Series and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course agreed to postpone The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio scheduled for August 7–9 until a date to be determined in September or October. The decision was made through communication with local health officials given the current environment.

“Our team continues to work with all of our partners and our local government to identify a date later this year when we can host The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio,” IndyCar said in a statement. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our fans as we navigate this postponement.”

Friday, July 31

COLLEGE SPORTS: Pac-12 to Play Football Championship on Campus

The Pac-12 Conference has announced more details about its fall plans for football teams to play conference-only games. As part of the season that will begin September 26 for member schools, the Pac-12 Football Championship Game will be played December 18 or 19 with a home-hosted model.

The move will take the game away from Las Vegas, which was set to host the competition for the first time at Allegiant Stadium. In announcing the move, the Pac-12 said the game will be staged in 2021 in Las Vegas after consultation with the stadium, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Las Vegas CVA and MGM Resorts International.

The conference also announced a conference-only season for other sports, including men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s cross country.

Thursday, July 30

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEC Establishes Conference-Only Football Start Date

The Southeastern Conference will go to conference-only for a football schedule this fall with games starting September 26 “to allow its universities to focus on the healthy return of their campus communities and the gradual re-introduction of athletics,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has announced.

The league will have a 10-game season with the SEC Championship Game held at its traditional site in Atlanta on December 19. The schedule will include one open date for each school with no games on December 12 as well.

Traditional SEC-ACC matchups such as South Carolina vs. Clemson, Kentucky vs. Louisville, Florida vs. Florida State and Georgia vs. Georgia Tech will be disrupted by the decision.

“This new plan for a football schedule is consistent with the educational goals of our universities to allow for the safe and orderly return to campus of their student populations and to provide a healthy learning environment during these unique circumstances presented by the COVID-19 virus,” Sankey said. “This new schedule supports the safety measures that are being taken by each of our institutions to ensure the health of our campus communities.”

A revised schedule for the 2020 SEC football season will be announced at a later date. The league’s other fall sports were earlier postponed through at least August 31 and start dates and schedules for those teams will also be announced at a later date.

HOCKEY: AHL Pushes 2020-21 Season Start to December

The American Hockey League has announced a revised start date for the 2020-21 season of December 4, 2020 as approved by the league’s Board of Governors. The league said in a statement that “the AHL will continue to work with its member clubs to monitor developments and local guidelines in all 31 league cities. Further details regarding the 2020-21 American Hockey League schedule are still to be determined.”

Wednesday, July 29

COLLEGE SPORTS: ACC Announces Plans for Football and Fall Olympic Sports

The Atlantic Coast Conference became the latest Power 5 league to announce its plans for the fall sports season, with football going to a modified schedule of 10 conference games plus one marquee non-conference game that will be determined at later dates and Notre Dame competing as a league member for this season only. Football and fall Olympic sports will begin competition the week of September 7–12 “if public health guidance allows,” the league said in a statement.

Most notable among the ACC football changes is that instead of two divisions the league will be a one-division format. The top two teams at the end of the season would play in the ACC Championship Game at season’s end. Each team’s non-conference game will be selected by the respective school and must be played in the home state of the ACC member school; all non-conference opponents must also meet the ACC’s medical protocol requirements.

Teams will have two open weeks during the season with the ACC title game played on either December 12 or December 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The exact weekly schedule will be released in the future. Also of note is that the league will have all TV revenue for the season — including Notre Dame’s NBC home game broadcasts — shared equally among the 15 programs.

One intriguing tidbit about the schedule is normally, a Power 5 team would have six home games each season. Because the ACC’s 10-game conference schedule includes five home games, some schools may lose a potential home game if its non-conference game is on the road. Notre Dame’s traditionally has games against Navy and Southern Cal; the game against the Trojans had already been canceled because of the Pac-12’s decision on conferencely-only play, while the Navy game is currently scheduled to be played in Annapolis, Maryland. It would be the first time that Navy has ever hosted Notre Dame at home — and only because the game’s was moved to Annapolis from its original site in Dublin, Ireland. Now under the ACC’s protocols, should Notre Dame make Navy its one non-conference game, it would have to be moved into the state of Indiana.

The 2020 Football Schedule Model has been announced.

More info: https://t.co/D6iCbHIY1x pic.twitter.com/dfhTqr4YTd

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) July 29, 2020

For Olympic sports, the league will allow competition to start on September 10 with a NCAA-mandated minimum amount of conference games in field hockey (6), women’s and men’s soccer (6) and volleyball (10). Each school will be allowed to schedule additional games at their discretion both against conference and non-conference teams, provided those teams meet the ACC’s medical standards. But any conference games beyond the NCAA minimum will not count toward the league standings.

The ACC fall championship schedule will also be maintained with cross country involving all 15 member schools at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, plus field hockey at Duke University and both men’s and women’s soccer championships being held at WakeMed Soccer Park.

The ACC’s move comes after two other Power 5 leagues, the Pac-12 and Big Ten, announced that they would have no non-conference play in the fall.

OLYMPICS: Tokyo Official Says 2021 Games Could Have ‘Limited’ Spectators

The chief executive of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Summer Games has told the BBC that the rescheduled event next summer could be held with “a limited number of spectators,” according to the BBC.

Toshiro Muto said to the network that organizers “will do everything we can to make it to the opening ceremony” on July 23, 2021. The Olympics were postponed — the first time it has ever happened — due to COVID-19 and will be held from July 23 through August 8 next year, with the Paralympics scheduled for August 24 through September 5.

“Everyone should focus on holding the event next year — we’re on the same page,” said Muto. “We discussed this with Mr. [Thomas] Bach [IOC president] and he’s saying it isn’t appropriate to think about cancelling or postponing again.”

Muto told the BBC that the Olympics may have some events without capacity crowds but when asked if the Games would go on without fans, he replied “Mr. Bach is not looking for that scenario. He may be thinking about a limited number of spectators with full consideration of social distancing.”

Both the IOC and Tokyo organizers have been working to find ways to keep next year’s rescheduled event safe. Muto told the BBC that they may reduce the number of staff allowed from individual countries and present a streamlined Opening or Closing Ceremony. There are no current plans to cut the number of events or athletes that would compete in Japan.

“We must build an environment where people feel safe,” Muto said. “Athletes and the IOC family may require testing before/after entering Japan and [we need] strong medical systems around accommodation and transportation plans.”

COLLEGE SPORTS: Big West Conference Postpones Fall Sports

The Big West Conference will postpone fall sports competition through the end of 2020 but has not yet made a decision about men’s and women’s basketball, which are scheduled to begin on November 10.

The conference’s board of directors voted to make the change because of “continued serious challenges to health and safety on Big West campuses and communities impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic.” The move includes the postponement of men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball; “a decision on whether fall sport competition would be feasible in the spring will be determined by the Board of Directors at a later date and be based on conditions and circumstances that are in the best interests of the student-athletes,” the Big West added.

GOLF: U.S. Open Officially Off-Limits to Fans, USGA Says

The United States Golf Association has officially announced that the 120th U.S. Open Championship, scheduled for September 14–20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, will be held without spectators. The decision was reached in consultation with the state of New York. The tournament, traditionally held in the spring with the final round on Father’s Day, was rescheduled to the fall because of COVID-19.

Tickets purchased directly through the USGA will be automatically refunded to the method of payment used to purchase the tickets. Additional information on U.S. Open ticket refunds can be found here.

“This will not be a typical U.S. Open in several respects,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships. “Would it have been easier to simply cancel or even move the 2020 championship rather than play it in what has been the epicenter of the virus in our country? Possibly. But all of us at the USGA know how much the U.S. Open matters and we weren’t willing to give up on playing it at Winged Foot Golf Club so easily. We are very proud to give our competitors and champions a platform to chase their dreams. Their perseverance motivates us, in a year when such tenacity means so much.”

COLLEGE SPORTS: NAIA Moves Several Fall Championships to Spring

The NAIA’s Council of Presidents has voted to postpone national championships in the fall for cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball to the spring of 2021. The decision notes that conference competition in those sports can still be held in the fall and winter if they choose; 51 NAIA institutions have already opted to postpone fall competition until the spring.

The timing of the football national championship will be determined at a council of presidents meeting on July 31.

“The NAIA realizes there are a wide range of considerations that come with postponing fall championships,” said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. “However, our first priority is making sure our student-athletes are not penalized by this decision. That will likely require temporary rule changes and accommodations as related to eligibility and seasons of competition, which the NAIA governance groups will begin further defining this week.”

HOCKEY: NWSL Releases Season Timeline

The National Women’s Hockey League, which had to cancel its Isobel Cup Playoffs in the spring, will start the upcoming season in January 2021 with a full 20-game schedule for each team and playoffs completed by the end of March. The league says it will aim to have its All-Star Game after the playoffs are completed.

The league said that will allow optional on-ice practices and off-ice training for teams starting the week of September 21, with formal practices starting the week of October 19 while following protocols established by infectious disease experts, the NWHL medical team and community officials in each market.

“The Safety Committee has and will continue to prioritize NWHL player, staff, fan, and media safety above all else while adapting to the ever-changing COVID-19 situation,” said Dr. Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Health expert at NYU Langone Health. “We are eager to meet the challenge ahead and do our utmost to safely return the athletes to the sport they love.”

OLYMPIC SPORTS: USA Weightlifting Takes American Open Virtual

USA Weightlifting has changed the American Open Series 3 to a remote and virtual event instead of holding it in Las Vegas from September 17–20.

The change will allow athletes to train and compete at home or a nearby gym without the need to travel. The virtual event is being modeled after this summer’s ROGUE Invitational, Pan Am Cup, and USA Weightlifting’s Online Selection Camp. Upon the close of entries, USA Weightlifting will develop a competition schedule and at an athlete’s assigned time, they will login to a Zoom meeting and lift in competition with other athletes in their weight categories.

“This is an innovative solution for an unprecedented time in our history,” USA Weightlifting CEO Phil Andrews said. “We want to give our members something to circle on their calendar. By holding this event remotely, we can assure our members that a weightlifting competition will happen that weekend.”

ENDURANCE SPORTS: Spartan Cancels All 2020 U.S. Races

Spartan Race is cancelling all United States obstacle races and trail races for the rest of 2020. The organization had a series of postponements since March 11 when an event in San Luis Obispo, California, was canceled. It did have a race in Jacksonville, Florida, six weeks ago with a new set of standards but Spartan has decided to focus the rest of the calendar year on setting up its 2021 schedule.

“It was a difficult decision to make, but we believe it’s better to prioritize safety now so we can rally towards the incredible season we have planned in 2021,” Spartan said in a release.

Tuesday, July 28

NFL: No Bubble for Season, Says League

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to fans that laid out the issues that the 2020 season will bring, with many teams under fan restrictions and in some cases possibly not having crowds at all.

The league previously announced that fans in markets where attendance will be allowed must wear masks in the stadium. The New York Jets and Giants have announced that it will not have fans, while the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers announced that it would have a restricted number of fans in attendance — if they are able to have fans at all. Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis already has said he does not expect fans to be in attendance when his team opens Allegiant Stadium.

Goodell’s letter came as the NFL’s chief medical officer Allen Sills told ESPN that the league does not plan to utilize a bubble concept in one location and will instead focus on handling testing in each team’s market and responding quickly to any positives that could occur.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Ohio State to Cap Attendance at 20,000

Ohio State football crowds will be capped at 20 percent of its 104,944 capacity this season, the athletic department wrote to season ticket holders, giving them an update as the season is scheduled to start in less than two months.

If games are played, the university will require physical distancing and mandatory face masks or coverings with limited concessions available. Ohio State will prohibit tailgating and for fans who have paid for season tickets, the university will offer to accommodate as many season ticket holders as possible, which will require limiting the quantity of season tickets for each ticket holder.

“While no final decision has been made regarding the 2020 football season, the Department of Athletics has been working diligently with university leaders, public health experts and government officials to create game day plans that protect the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, staff, faculty and fans,” the department said in a message to ticket holders today.

Season ticket holders who opt out will retain their full season ticket eligibility for 2021.

Monday, July 27

AUTO RACING: IRL Schedule Adjusts Once More

The IndyCar Series, which has had to readjust its schedule continuously throughout the pandemic to make sure that it could run races at tracks with proper protocols and in some cases have been able to have fans on hand, released another update to the 2020 calendar that keeps it on track to run 14 races this season.

Events at Portland International Raceway in Oregon and a doubleheader weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California have been canceled, with additional races in its places put in at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, World Wide Technology Raceway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Road Course.

Prior to the scheduled Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on August 9, the series will have another points race the day before. WWTR in St. Louis, Missouri, will have a doubleheader event on August 29–30 and the IMS race course will have events on October 2–3.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Postpones Fall Sports

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has canceled fall sports competition, with a decision on if it can be rescheduled for the fall to be determined at a later date. The MAAC’s decision is the latest in a series of moves made by mostly smaller Division I conferences along with several in Division II, most notably the Ivy League and Patriot League

“The fall sports impacted by the Council’s decision include men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s cross country and sports that conduct non-traditional season segments in the fall,” MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor said. “It is the goal of the MAAC to ensure it recognizes a MAAC champion in each sport and it will review possible championship formats for the fall sports in accordance with evolving state and local regulations.”

One of the MAAC’s member schools is Marist College, which plays football in the Pioneer Football League since the MAAC does not sponsor the sport. Marist’s non-conference games against Georgetown, Cornell and Dartmouth had already been canceled, and Marist released a statement saying “it is presumed that the Red Foxes’ football season may be postponed barring significant improvements related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A decision regarding Marist’s football season is expected within the next few weeks.”

The announcements by the MAAC and Marist came soon after the NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee’s announcement that it will be giving a blanket waiver to fall sports that reduces the legislated minimum number of contests by 50 percent. The waiver is available for men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, men’s water polo and women’s volleyball teams.

“In the current environment where some conferences have eliminated non-conference competition for fall sports, the change allows teams that continue to play the opportunity to avoid scheduling additional games near the end of a season that could put student-athletes, coaches and staff in at-risk positions with additional travel and exposure,” the committee said in a statement.

Friday, July 24

MOTORSPORTS: Formula 1 Cancels North American Races

Formula 1 has announced that it will not race in the United States, Mexico, Canada or Brazil during 2020, a race that takes the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, off the calendar. That race had at the Circuit of the Americas course been scheduled for October 25.

The international racing series said the decision was “due to the fluid nature of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, local restrictions and the importance of keeping communities and our colleagues safe.” The decision was made after ongoing discussions and close collaboration with partners in the affected countries.

Chase Carey, chairman and CEO of Formula 1, said that he looked forward to welcoming the races back to the schedule in 2021: “We want to pay tribute to our incredible partners in the Americas and look forward to being back with them next season when they will once again be able to thrill millions of fans around the world.”

COTA Founding Partner Bobby Epstein called the cancellation “prudent, but painful. After a sold-out 2019, advance ticket sales deposits were up nearly 250 percent over the prior year, and our staff was preparing for our biggest event ever.”

Thursday, July 23

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Pac-12 Prepares Conference-Only Schedule Changes

The Pac-12 Conference, one of the two Power 5 leagues to announce that it will not be playing non-conference games this season in the fall, is on the verge of finalizing plans for a 10-game schedule in football. The news was first reported by the San Jose Mercury News.

The report says that it would be include each team playing against every team in the division along with five crossover games with seasons starting on Sept. 19, the third week on the college football calendar. There would be up to two bye weeks in each team’s season in case there are games that have to be rescheduled and the conference championship game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas could be held on its originally scheduled date of December 4, but it would also be potentially held on December 11–12 or December 18–19 if needed.

The Pac-12 and Big Ten Conferences have announced no non-conference play for football and other fall sports this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other Power 5 leagues such as the SEC, Big 12 and ACC are still working on their models for the season.

Wednesday, July 22

NFL: League Mandates Face Coverings for Fans

The National Football League announced today that fans who are allowed to attend games will be required to wear face coverings, making league-wide a mandate that many teams had already started to inform fans of as a policy.

In the past week, the New York Jets and Giants have announced that it will not have fans, while the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers announced that it would have a restricted number of fans in attendance — if they are able to have fans at all. The Atlanta Falcons joined that list on Wednesday, saying that it would have up to 20,000 fans at games allowed. Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis already has said he does not expect fans to be in attendance when his team opens Allegiant Stadium.

The Rams’ debut season at SoFi Stadium, the most highly anticipated sports venue opening in several years, will be played with a limited number of fans at most and the team announced to stadium seat license holders that “season tickets will not be possible for the 2020 season.” Season tickets will be deferred to the 2021 season with SSL holders given priority for games this year if fans are allowed in. Previous single game ticket purchases and transferred tickets will be canceled. The first game at SoFi Stadium would be the Rams’ season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13.

The NFL has offered to eliminate the preseason as part of its negotiations with the players union — an offer that the union accepted late Tuesday, according to multiple reports — as training camps are scheduled to begin for many teams by the end of this week. The Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs had rookies report to their training camps on Monday since those teams are scheduled to start the regular season a few days ahead of the other teams in the league. The preseason had been a source of talks for several weeks, with the league previously cutting down the preseason to two games from the original four while the players wanted none.

The NFL and union is also close to agreement on a COVID-19 testing program that would result in each player being tested daily to start training camp. The daily testing will continue as long as the positive rate among players, coaches and team staffers is above 5 percent; if the rate is under that number, the testing will be done every other day.

OLYMPICS: USOPC Testing Reveals One Positive, Says Partner

The Partnership for Clean Competition, a nonprofit that funds anti-doping research, has partnered with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee to test athletes for COVID-19 with 25 athletes at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers tested — with one positive test and another athlete testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies.

In addition to quarantining the currently infected athlete, USOPC officials were able to conduct contact tracing and quarantine those that had sustained contact with the positive athlete. The testing will help guide recommendations for sports organizations as they plan returns to training and competition. It will also provide invaluable information about infection rates in the athlete population.

“These tests will give us the first epidemiological profile of COVID-19 in the elite athlete population,” said USOPC Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Finnoff. “We want to know how prevalent the virus is, but we also want to know how an athlete’s body will respond.”

The PCC has provided the USOPC with $75,000, which will cover testing for 250 athletes. The PCC funds more than 70% of the world’s anti-doping research.

“At the end of the day, anti-doping is about athlete health and safety, so while this isn’t our typical area of focus, we felt called to work with the USOPC on this project,” said PCC Executive Director Michael Pearlmutter.

Tuesday, July 21

AUTO RACING: Indianapolis 500 To Have 25 Percent Capacity

The Indianapolis 500 will have 25 percent of capacity, announced Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with face coverings required for all attendees with ticket sales stopped after July 24.

“In June, we announced the race was on and that attendance would be limited to no more than 50 percent of capacity,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles said in a statement. “We also made clear we intended to do things differently this year. By offering credits to fans who had previously purchased tickets, encouraging those over 65 to stay at home, limiting attendance in the infield, reducing tickets in our suites and promising fans their decision to not attend would not impact their seniority or right to renew tickets for 2021, we now anticipate attendance at approximately 25 percent of capacity. We will welcome fans back, and we have an aggressive plan in place, which has been developed through collaboration with national, state and local health experts.”

Billed as the largest sports venue in the world, the track claims a permanent seating capacity for more than 235,000 people and infield seating that raises capacity to an approximate 400,000.

The track has prepared a nearly 100-page plan that provides guidelines and protocols for how the race will be run this year. Track officials will include safety precautions including the reassignment of seats to provide for greater distancing; the required use of masks and distribution of hand sanitizer to all who enter; temperature checks in order to enter; and changes throughout the facility to minimize lines and gathering spots, including limiting concession options to mostly pre-packaged foods.

Miles and track officials had previously said that if fans were not allowed in attendance that the race would be further delayed but that alternative will not be needed. The IndyCar Series have had a restricted number of fans at recent races in Wisconsin and Iowa.

“We look forward to welcoming fans back to the 500 in person. Our outdoor facility is mammoth, and with attendance of about 25 percent, it will certainly look different this year,” said Miles. “We want to demonstrate that even under current circumstances, people can gather with carefully planned procedures in place so we don’t have to go back to shutting down our country and our community.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Texas Expects 50 Percent Capacity; Classes at Cal to Start Virtually

The University of Texas says it anticipates home football games being played in front of 50 percent capacity in the stands, the Longhorns’ athletic director said in an email to season ticket holders.

Chris Del Conte said in the message that the school is working with the governor’s office and will follow state guidelines on social distancing. The Big 12 Conference has not made any announcements on the fate of college football yet; the Longhorns are scheduled to open on September 5 at home against South Florida.

Texas’ Royal-Memorial Stadium holds about 100,000 and even with limited capacity, the school said it expects to offer all season-ticket holders a chance to get tickets.

While the Big 12 and Texas are still moving ahead with plans to play all football games, the Pac-12 Conference has already announced that it will not have its member schools playing in non-conference games for all fall sports. One Pac-12 school, California, has announced that it will start the fall semester with fully remote instruction and not have students on campus. How that will affect Cal’s athletic programs is to be determined; the Bears football program already had games canceled by the conference’s decision against UNLV, TCU and Cal Poly, making the team’s currently scheduled opener September 26 against Utah.

“Although we have repeatedly noted that all fall plans are subject to public health conditions, we understand that this news will be disappointing,” Cal said in a statement, which pointedly did not mention athletics. “Many faculty and students continue to look forward to resumption of some element of in-person instruction. We will continue to work hard on our plans, and to learn from the setbacks as well as the advances.”

TENNIS: ATP Event in Washington, D.C., Canceled

Monday, July 20

NFL: Jets, Giants Without Fans This Season Or “Until Further Notice”

The New York Jets and Giants will not have fans at MetLife Stadium this season “until further notice” because of the coronavirus pandemic after releasing a joint statement with Governor Phil Murphy.

Murphy announced an executive order limiting outdoor public gatherings to 500 people on Monday. The Jets and Giants say the decision to not have fans for now was reached after discussions with Murphy, with the health and safety of fans, players and staff being considered.

“We support Governor Murphy’s decision in the interest of public health and safety and, until circumstances change, we will play our games without the benefit of fans in attendance,” said a letter sent to Jets and Giants season ticket holders. “Although we prefer to have fans at MetLife Stadium for our games, we will continue to work with Governor Murphy’s office and will provide updates as available.”

The letter also read “in the event fans are permitted at MetLife Stadium later this season and depending on capacity limitations or restrictions from the State of NJ, Season Ticket Members will receive first access to purchase 2020 individual game tickets via exclusive pre-sales before tickets are offered to the general public.”

Rutgers University also announced that all of its athletic venues will operate with 500 or fewer in attendance and safety precautions will be in place for those fans who come to sporting events there.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: California Moves All Sports To December or January Starts

The California Interscholastic Federation has moved all high school athletics back to at least December or January, creating a new statewide calendar that will have two sports seasons in the winter and fall while allowing each of the state’s 10 sections to put together their own calendar to reflect when their regions feel ready to have competition.

With coronavirus surging throughout the state, most California public and private schools will begin the academic year with online classes. High school football practice was scheduled to begin Aug. 3 but now will have its regional bowl games held by April 17 at the latest. Given the state’s enormous depth and breadth of talent in many scholastic sports, the calendar changes will not only make some multi-sport athletes choose one team or the other, it will also inevitably lead to a gigantic scramble for colleges looking to recruit and evaluate athletes.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the CIF will allow athletes to participate on club teams while also competing in high school seasons in a temporary suspension of statewide rules, although local districts can have a stricter rule should they choose.

“We are continuously monitoring the directives and guidelines released from the Governor’s Office, the California Department of Education, the California Department of Public Health and local county health departments and agencies as these directives and guidelines are followed by our member schools/school districts with student health and safety at the forefront,” the CIF said in a statement.

Friday, July 17

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: CAA Cancels Fall Football Season

The Colonial Athletic Association has become the latest collegiate conference to suspend football competition for the fall, citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Conference officials said they would explore playing the sport in the spring.

The CAA also cited the unique nature of the conference composition, the geographical expansion of membership and the complexity of the often-changing situation in postponing the fall season. Conference leaders also said schools were welcome to explore pursuing an independent schedule in the fall.

“I commend the Board of Directors for their forward thinking and open-mindedness when dealing with the uncertain and complex moment that we find ourselves in,” said CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio. “Each of our institutions is making the best decisions for its campus community, based on a totality of the circumstances analysis.”

The 12 schools in the conference are James Madison, Albany, Villanova, New Hampshire, Towson, Maine, Elon, Richmond, Delaware, William & Mary, Stony Brook and Rhode Island.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Atlantic 10 Postpones All Fall Sports

The Atlantic 10 Conference has postponed of all scheduled fall competition in conference-sponsored sports and A-10 championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sports affected by the move includes men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, men’s and women’s cross country and volleyball. The fall competitive schedules for men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and women’s rowing will also be postponed, as will non-traditional competition seasons for baseball, softball and women’s lacrosse.

The league intends to move all fall competition to the 2021 spring semester. Details on the rescheduling of contests and championships will be announced at a later date.

Thursday, July 16

AUTO RACING: NASCAR All-Star Open Draws 20,000 Fans

It was a scene not seen in NASCAR in many months — not the part where a driver wins a race, but what happened when Clint Bowyer won the fan vote to advance to the NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

It was the sound of cheers from the grandstand, as at least 20,000 fans were socially distanced throughout the track’s massive grandstands. Up to 30,000 fans were allowed to attend the annual event, which was moved from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Tennessee for the first time.

“To me there is no more electric environment that we as NASCAR drivers can interact with and hear at Bristol,” said Chase Elliott, who won the race. “I know it was limited on how many people could come. Heck, it felt like they sure were making a lot of noise for only 30,000 people to be here, so that was pretty cool.”

Bristol can hold about 140,000 people, meaning it would be 79% empty even with a crowd of 30,000. Masks were required upon entrance but fans could remove them once in their seats. Concession stands were open, but opportunities were limited.

“Having the fans back is obviously what we all want,” Kevin Harvick said. “Having that energy back in the stands was definitely fun to hear, fun to be a part of.”

IndyCar raced last weekend at Road America in Wisconsin on a 4-mile road course and crowd estimates for that event have been around 10,000 spectators. The IndyCar series plans to have fans again during its upcoming race weekend at Iowa Speedway with a limited number of tickets available and social distancing enforced throughout the stands.

Wednesday, July 15

OLYMPICS: 2022 Youth Olympic Games Postponed to 2026

The Youth Olympic Games scheduled for Senegal in 2022 will be postponed until 2026 after a mutual agreement between the host country and International Olympic Committee. The agreement was approved by the IOC Executive Board and will be submitted to the IOC Session for ratification on Friday.

The postponement of Dakar 2022 allows the IOC, National Olympic Committees and International Federations to better plan activities that have been affected by the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This amicable agreement illustrates the mutual trust between Senegal and the IOC,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. “I am sure that together we will organize fantastic Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 for Senegal, the entire African continent and all the young athletes of the world.”

The IOC also announced that it has so far paid $100 million to various National Olympic Committees and International Federation since the outbreak of the coronavirus, with $63 million going to IFs and $37 million to NOCs. Payments to IFs started in June and the program is continuing, the IOC said.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Tournament of Roses Parade Canceled, Rose Bowl Still On For Now

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association has announced that the 2021 Rose Parade has been canceled. Since its inception in 1891, the Parade has not occurred only three times – the wartime years of 1942, 1943 and 1945.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association also hosts the Rose Bowl Game each January 1. The planning for this year’s Rose Bowl Game, which will serve as a College Football Playoff Semifinal, is still ongoing.

“We continue to work with the College Football Playoff and our collegiate partners to explore what this year’s college football season will look like amidst COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines. While the safety and well-being of the student athletes, university personnel and fans is our top priority, we remain hopeful that the Granddaddy of Them All will take place on New Year’s Day,” said David Eads, executive director and chief executive officer of the Tournament of Roses.

Potentially having no Rose Bowl game would be another blow to the Rose Bowl Operating Company’s financial state. The Pasadena City Council earlier this summer approved $11.5 million in debt payments to help cover costs from a decade-long renovation.

NFL: Buccaneers to Get Facility Improvements to Prevent COVID-19 Spread

Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, the home of the 2021 Super Bowl, would be getting over $10 million in federal funding to have upgrades throughout the facility to prevent the spread of COVID-19 if approved by the Hillsborough County Commission. The news was first reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

The federal funding would be used by the Tampa Sports Authority to modify more than 40 different areans throughout the stadium, with the first of three phases to be completed by October 31. Among the modifications would be a public address system in the parking lots to let fans know which groups would be allowed to come to entry gates at assigned times, plus touchscreen ticket scanners and temperature check thermometers. There would also be portable wash stations throughout the venue and parking areas plus modifications to the press box for social distancing and reconfigured entry gates and check points.

The measures already have been recommended for approval by the commission’s staff, according to the story, and the Buccaneers are expected to unveil their ticket policy and seating capacity this week.

NASCAR: Fans Allowed for August Events at Daytona

Daytona International Speedway will allow a limited number of fans to attend the Cup Series and Truck Series races on August 16 in accordance with public health officials and local, state and federal authorities along with amended safety protocols and procedures. Fans will be allowed to sit in the frontstretch grandstand plus there will be options for infield camping. Tickets are also being sold for the August 29 Cup Series event.

Fans who have already purchased tickets to the August 16 event have been reseated and guests who attend will be required to wear face coverings and maintain six feet of social distancing throughout the venue. There will also be ingress and egress procedures into the property and each guest will be screened at the gate with questions about their health status and a temperature check, among other protocols.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Major Preseason Event Canceled

College hockey’s Ice Breaker Tournament, a major opening weekend event that traditionally brings together four of the biggest names in the sport, will be postponed to 2021. The tournament was scheduled be hosted by the University of Minnesota-Duluth and also include the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University-Mankato and Providence College. The rescheduled event will be held October 9–10, 2021 with all of the teams except for Minnesota still participating.

“Given the latest input and guidance from the University, local and state officials as well as public health experts, we have decided at this time it is not possible to host the 2020 Ice Breaker Tournament in a successful manner and have postponed the event to October of 2021,” said UMD Athletic Director Josh Berlo. “Ultimately, the health and well-being of the participants, staff, coaches, campus and community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts UMD, Amsoil Arena and Duluth in the best position to safely host the Ice Breaker Tournament in 2021 that will include an exceptional experience for the teams, a safe and fun atmosphere for the fans of Bulldog Country and beyond as well as significant economic impact for our community.”

Tuesday, July 14

NFL: Eagles, Phillies Will Not Have Fans at Games

The Philadelphia Eagles and other pro teams in the city will likely not have fans at their venues this year after city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said, “I do not think that they can have spectators at those games. There’s no way for them to be safe having a crowd there.”

Farley did say at a press conference that the protocols for having games played are good. Under the city’s current guidelines, events of 25 or more people indoors are not permitted, such as hockey or basketball games.

“The Eagles are still going to be allowed to play, although without crowds. The Phillies will continue to be allowed to play, although without crowds,” Managing Director Brian Abernathy told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We have been in communication with the Eagles. We have told them our expectations are that they don’t have fans.”

The team said in a statement that ticketed parties will be asked to maintain physical distancing of at least six feet, tickets will be arranged in blocks of 10 seats or less, and the first eight rows of stadium seats will not be used. Face coverings will be required at all times inside the stadium. Patriots Putnam Club and Season Ticket Members will have the first opportunity to purchase individual game tickets if fans are allowed, and any remaining inventory will go on sale to the general public once the member process is complete.

The Patriots are the third team in the NFL to acknowledge that it will not have capacity crowds this season. The Jacksonville Jaguars said over the weekend that the team would cap attendance at 25 percent of the capacity at TIAA Bank Field this fall, with tickets and most in-stadium purchases being cashless and those allowed to attend games required to wear face coverings. The Jaguars’ home stadium has a capacity of 67,164. The Baltimore Ravens earlier announced that they would cap attendance at 14,000 at M&T Bank Stadium, which has a capacity of 71,008.

Most NFL teams have communicated with its season ticket holders about the plans for 2020 with almost all of them allowing those who have season tickets to roll over their account to 2021.

GOLF: PGA Tour Going Fan-Free For Season

TENNIS: USTA Cancels Several National Events

The United States Tennis Association has canceled a series of national-level events scheduled for August throughout the country for both juniors and adults.

The USTA National Championships for boys 18s singles and boys and girls 18s–12 doubles at the national campus in Orlando, Florida will be affected along with the girls 18s national championship in San Diego, the boys 16s at Rome, Georgia, and the girls 16s at Mobile, Alabama. Adult events canceled included the men’s 65 national indoors at Eden Prairie, Minnesota; men’s and women’s open national grass court championships at Newport, Rhode Island; and the men’s 75 & 80 mother/son national grass court championships at Rumford, Rhode Island.

“As these events were larger in scale and size, there was an inherent risk associated with hosting large numbers of individuals at one site, at one time and would make risk mitigation difficult,” the organization said in a statement. “Without a controlled environment that includes a comprehensive and contained lodging, transportation, food and beverage, and medical testing program in place, proper risk mitigation would not be possible — and in the case of these events, this type of environment would logistically and financially be incredibly difficult to create.”

Monday, July 13

COLLEGE SPORTS: NJCAA Moves Fall Sports to Spring Semester

The National Junior College Athletic Association will adjust its sports schedule and move all fall semester sports competition, including football, to the spring semester. The decision came after the recommendations from the NJCAA Presidential Advisory Council and the NJCAA Board of Regents. The plan of action will move all close-contact fall sports to the spring semester including football, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.

The NJCAA cross country championships for all three divisions and half marathon championships will remain on their originally scheduled dates in the fall as will Division III women’s tennis. All winter sports competition will begin in January with championships for men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, and swimming and diving moved to April. Men’s and women’s bowling and men’s and women’s indoor track and field will be held at the beginning of March.

Spring sports competition remains intact with minor adjustments. All championship dates are subject to change based on championship facility availability.

COLLEGE SPORTS: Patriot League Delays Fall Sports Activities

The Patriot League became the second collegiate conference on the Football Championship Subdivision level to announce that fall sports will be — at minimum — postponed until the spring, following the lead of the Ivy League. Two notable differences is that the Patriot League is the first FCS conference that participates in the national playoffs to announce it will not be playing this fall, while both Army and Navy will be allowed to have athletic competition “because the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy are unique in their environments and their missions within higher education.”

The Patriot League’s official statement included the note that decisions on winter and spring sports will be made at a later date. The conference’s core members include American University, Army, Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola (Maryland) and Navy. The most notable football game that will be canceled in the fall is the annual Lafayette vs. Lehigh game; it will be the first time the teams have not played since 1896 and only the second time they will not meet in a calendar year since the rivalry started in 1884.

RUNNING: Chicago Marathon Latest Endurance Race to be Canceled

The Chicago Marathon has been canceled for 2020 with all race activities postponed in response to the ongoing public health concerns brought on by COVID-19.

“In regard to the unique set of circumstances surrounding the decision to cancel the 2020 race, the event has put into place an exception to our standard event policies,” the organizers said in a statement. Each registered participant will have the option to receive a refund for their 2020 entry or to defer their place and entry fee to a future edition.

Sunday, July 12

COLLEGE SPORTS: Pac-12 Conference Eliminates Fall Non-Conference Games

The Pac-12 Conference has followed the Big Ten’s lead and become the second Power 5 Conference to change its fall sports schedules to conference-only play due to Covid-19.

Football, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball will be played solely within the conference, “provided it can meet the health and safety needs of its student-athletes and obtain appropriate permissions from state and local health authorities.”

Revised schedules will be announced no later than July 31. Among the nonconference games that will be wiped from the schedule include two high-profile games involving the University of Southern California between its opener on September 5 against Alabama in Arlington, Texas, and also its traditional game against Notre Dame, which will not be held for the first time since 1945.

Thursday, July 9

COLLEGE SPORTS: Big Ten Conference Going Conference-Only in Fall Sports

The Big Ten Conference has made the biggest move in adjusting the collegiate fall sports landscape, announcing that it will be having only conference games in all fall sports and canceling non-conference events — while also not making a guarantee that even conference games would be held because of the shifting landscape resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While obviously having an impact on all fall sports, football clearly has the biggest national impact. High-profile non-conference games such as Ohio State at Oregon, Penn State at Virginia Tech, Michigan at Washington and Notre Dame versus Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay are affected.

There are a total of 36 scheduled games involving Big Ten schools that will be affected overall and six teams — Ball State, Bowling Green, BYU, Central Michigan, Connecticut and Northern Illinois — were scheduled to play two games this season against Big Ten teams. According to USA Today, Big Ten non-conference opponents stood to earn a total of $22.2 million in payouts.

The Big Ten’s statement said the decision was made between meetings from the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee along with the presidents and chancellors plus athletic directors from each of the member schools. All summer activities will be voluntary and any athlete who decides not to compete this fall will have their scholarship honored by their institution.

The Big Ten’s decision comes after the ACC announced the delay of its fall sports events until September 1 at the earliest and one day after the Ivy League announced all fall sports would be canceled.

NFL: Baltimore Ravens Confirm Attendance Cap for 2020 Season

Several teams including the New York Giants, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers are offering refunds for season ticket holders as teams prepare for reduced capacities this season. The Green Bay Packers announced they would look to reduce the capacity at Lambeau Field and anybody who is allowed in the stands will be required to wear face masks.

SOCCER: Second Team Removed from MLS is Back Tournament

Major League Soccer announced an updated format and schedule for the MLS is Back Tournament after Nashville SC was withdrawn from the competition. Since arriving in Orlando, nine players on Nashville have had confirmed positive test results for COVID-19.

As a result of the earlier withdrawal of Dallas and then Nashville on Thursday, MLS has reconfigured the groups into six groups, each consisting of four teams, as well as an update to the qualification for the Knockout Stage. The Chicago Fire will move from Group A to Group B in the tournament, joining San Jose, Seattle and Vancouver so that each of the six groups have four teams. After 16 days of group stage matches, the top two teams from each group along with the four best third-place finishers will move on to the knockout stage, which begins July 25.

COLLEGE SPORTS: ACC Delays Start of Fall Sports

The Atlantic Coast Conference will delay the start of all fall sports except football until at least September 1, the league’s board of directors have announced. The ACC’s football schedule is scheduled to start September 2 when North Carolina State visits Louisville.

The ACC’s decision to delay the start of fall sports is the first by a Power 5 conference. The Patriot League has pushed its start back until September 4 and the Ivy League announced the cancellation of all fall sports on Wednesday. The delay includes all exhibition and non-conference games in men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball.

Wednesday, July 8

COLLEGE ATHLETICS: Ivy League Postpones All Fall Athletics

The Ivy League, which was the first collegiate league to cancel its college basketball tournament and spurred a series of actions that led to the cancellation of all NCAA winter and spring championships because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will postpone all fall athletic competition with no certainty on if those sports will be able to compete in the spring. Futhermore, all winter sports activities until January 1 will be postponed.

A decision on the remaining winter and spring sports competition calendar, and on whether fall sport competition would be feasible in the spring, will be determined at a later date.

The announcement had been expected with various reports indicating that football, in particular, could be played in the spring if conditions improve.

The Ivy League’s decision is not the first adjustment for college football, although all Football Bowl Subdivision teams are still on track to play a full schedule. The Patriot Leagu announced in June that its fall sports, including football would play league competition but travel by airplane would not be permitted. Fordham’s football program has canceled its first three games including a September 12 game at Hawaii. Last week, Lafayette canceled its season-opening game at Navy.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Northwestern Moves Game Out of Wrigley Field

Northwestern’s scheduled game against the University of Wisconsin at Wrigley Field in Chicago, scheduled for November 7, will not be played at the home of the Chicago Cubs after consultation with the Cubs, state and local authorities, the Big Ten Conference and in consideration of challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2010, Northwestern and the Cubs brought college football to Wrigley Field for the first time since 1938 with a game against Illinois.

GOLF: Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup Rescheduled to Future Years

The Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup golf tournaments have become the latest international events to be rescheduled. The 43rd Ryder Cup, which pits the best American golfers against the top European golfers, had been scheduled for September 22–27 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. The event will now be held September 21–26, 2021.

The Presidents Cup had been scheduled for September 30–October 3, 2021, at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event, which features the top American golfers against an international team outside of Europe, will now be played September 19-25, 2022.

The moves will have long-term impact on the golf schedule in years to come. All subsequent Ryder Cups are now expected to shift to odd years, with the next two events scheduled for Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome in 2023, and Bethpage Black on Long Island in New York hosting in 2025. Sites for the Ryder Cup are selected through 2037. The Ryder Cup had originally been played in odd years before switching to even years after its postponement in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks.

AUTO RACING: NASCAR Cup Series Schedule Through August Released

NASCAR has announced its schedule of events through August including two additional NASCAR Cup Series doubleheaders and two separate stops on different courses at Daytona International Speedway.

Races scheduled for the Cup Series in August include a doubleheader on August 8–9 at Michigan International Speedway, as well as a road course race at Daytona on August 16 in place of the regularly scheduled road course event at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The race was moved NASCAR cannot meet New York’s quarantine requirements for out-of-state visitors.

After the August 16 event, the Cup Series will have a doubleheader on August 22–23 at Dover International Speedway before returning to Daytona’s oval on August 29.

RACING: BMX World Championships Canceled

“Despite its best efforts to come up with an alternative, the UCI regrets to announce that there will be no UCI World Championships in the discipline in 2020,” a statement said.

Tuesday, July 7

ENDURANCE SPORTS: Louisville Triathlon Canceled

The Louisville Ironman triathlon scheduled for October 11 has been canceled. The event had been held in the region for 13 consecutive years with 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running throughout Louisville, Oldham and Henry Counties. The World Triathlon Corporation, owners and operators of more than 170 Ironman events worldwide, said the full 140.6-mile event would not be held in the foreseeable future in Louisville but there is the potential for Louisville to host a 70.3 event as early as 2022.

NHL: Season to Restart August 1

The race for the Stanley Cup will resume August 1 after the National Hockey League and the NHL Players Association agreed on a full plan for the 2019–2020 season restart and added four years to the current labor agreement, taking the CBA through the 2025–2026 season.

Training camps for teams in phase 3 of the league’s return to play began July 3 ahead of the resumption of games. While the league has not yet made it official, multiple reports have indicated that the two hub cities that will host games in the restart plan — which has 24 teams competing in an expanded playoff formate — will be Edmonton and Toronto.

The CBA extension will also aid the league and union in planning for international and special events such as overseas games, the All-Star Game and Winter Classic. A point of emphasis for players in the extension was the ability to participate in the Olympic Winter Games in both 2022 and 2026. Players from the NHL had participated in five straight Olympics between 1998 and 2014 before skipping the 2018 event in South Korea.

Monday, July 6

SOCCER: FC Dallas Pulls Out of MLS Tournament

Major League Soccer announced that FC Dallas have been withdrawn from the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida, due to 10 players and one member of the technical staff confirmed positive for COVID-19. Each of the tests either occurred upon the club’s arrival or within a few days of arrival.

The decision was made in the interest of the health of players and staff participating and in line with protocols created in conjunction with local and national health authorities and infectious disease experts. Of the 557 players in Orlando, 13 players have been confirmed positive for COVID-19, 10 of those being FC Dallas players and the remaining three from two other clubs.

BASEBALL: MLB Cancels 2020 All-Star Game in Los Angeles

Major League Baseball has canceled its 2020 All-Star Game, which was to be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in July. The Dodgers will instead be awarded the 2022 game. (The 2021 event will be staged in Atlanta.)

“Once it became clear we were unable to hold this year’s All-Star festivities, we wanted to award the Dodgers with the next available All-Star Game, which is 2022,” said Commissioner Rob Manfred.  “I want to thank the Dodgers organization and the city of Los Angeles for being collaborative partners in the early stages of All-Star preparation and for being patient and understanding in navigating the uncertainty created by the pandemic.  The 2022 All-Star celebration promises to be a memorable one with events throughout the city and at picturesque Dodger Stadium.”

“As excited as we were to host this year’s All-Star Game, we know that it will be worth the wait and that Dodger Stadium and Los Angeles will host a world-class event in 2022,” said Dodger President and CEO Stan Kasten. “We’d like to thank Commissioner Rob Manfred for re-awarding All-Star Week to Los Angeles so quickly, as well as Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Gil Cedillo for their continued support of this premier sporting event, which will have lasting benefits for our community.”

GOLF: The Memorial Going Without Fans

The Memorial, one of the biggest non-majors on the PGA Tour calendar each year thanks to tournament host Jack Nicklaus, will not have fans at the event after originally planning for a restricted number of attendees. The decision was announced right as Muirfield Village Golf Club prepares for a two-week swing with the Workday Charity Open this week, followed by the Memorial. After Ohio Governor Mike DeWine approved a phased approach to allowing fans and guests, tournament officials had announced a 20 percent maximum capacity on the property, encompassing patrons and private venues, as well as essential staff needed to operate the event.

Thursday, July 2

FOOTBALL: NFL Will Remove Two Preseason Games

The NFL has reportedly decided to shorten the four-game preseason to just two games per team, according to ESPN. The new schedule will effectively remove the first and the final preseason week of games, leaving each team with one home game and one game on the road.

The league had earlier announced it was canceling its August 8 Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, as well as the enshrinement ceremonies for its 2020 induction class. Under the proposed new preseason schedule, the first games would take place August 20–24 with the second games being held August 27–31.

CYCLING: USA Cycling Cancels Seven National Championships

USA Cycling has announced the cancellation of seven national championships in 2020 after determining that the events could not be held with the uncertainty of the coronavirus in different destinations. USA Cycling intends to provide another update July 31 on five remaining national championships that are still scheduled before the end of the year. The events canceled as a result of the latest announcement are:

USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships
USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships
USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships
USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships
USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships
USA Cycling Elite and Junior Track National Championships
USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships

Tuesday, June 30

BASEBALL: Minor Leagues Cancel 2020 Season

Minor League Baseball has announced that it will not have a season in 2020 after Major League Baseball informed the minor leagues that it would not provide its affiliate teams with players for the season—the first time an entire season has been lost since the league was founded in 1901.

The minor league had held out hope of a completing a shortened a season but MiLB President and CEO Pat O’Conner said it wasn’t possible to accomplish.

“These are unprecedented times for our country and our organization as this is the first time in our history that we’ve had a summer without Minor League Baseball played,” O’Conner said. “While this is a sad day for many, this announcement removes the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season and allows our teams to begin planning for an exciting 2021 season of affordable family entertainment.”

International League President Randy Mobley, president of the Triple-A International League that began in 1884, said it will be the first summer in the league’s history that games will not be played. “While we continue to pray for the health and wellbeing of those within our communities, our focus immediately turns to planning and preparing to welcome fans and sponsors back into our fabulous ballparks next April,” he said. “During what will now become an extended off-season from Triple-A Baseball, I encourage fans to stay in tune with activities planned by their local team. Teams in Minor League Baseball are known for their creativity and that is now and will continue to be demonstrated in ways never before explored. From drive-in fireworks shows to family movie nights on the giant videoboards to experiencing “dinner on the diamond,” teams will be finding creative ways to stay engaged with their community.”

PICKLEBALL: National Championship in California Canceled

The effect of the coronavirus pandemic in sports has now reached pickleball as well. USA Pickleball, the sport’s national governing body, announced that in light of the pandemic, the 2020 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships will not take place. The event had been scheduled for the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, from October 31–November 8.

NASCAR: Postseason Awards Event Canceled

NASCAR has announced that it will cancel its postseason Champion’s Week and NASCAR Cup Series Awards, which had been scheduled for Nashville, Tennessee.

In a statement, the league said, “With the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus and the impact on the industry, this year’s NASCAR Champion’s Week and NASCAR Cup Series Awards originally scheduled to take place in Nashville will not occur. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champions will be celebrated at the end of the season with more details to come. We look forward to returning to Nashville in 2021.”

Monday, June 29

TENNIS: Davis Cup and Fed Cup Rescheduled to 2021

The International Tennis Federation has announced that the 2020 Davis Cup by Rakuten Madrid Finals will be postponed until 2021, and that the 2020 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals will be rescheduled for 2021 in Budapest, Hungary.

The decision to move the Davis Cup Finals to the week of November 22, 2021—still in Madrid—came after months of review and were attributable to regulatory challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic. The finals mark the pinnacle of the largest men’s international team competition in tennis. The event had been scheduled to see the world’s best 18 national teams competing for the Davis Cup title over one week in Madrid in November 2020.

The Fed Cup is the women’s equivalent and the finals were originally scheduled to be competed in April.

Laszlo Papp Arena in Hungary was unavailable to host later in 2020 and the same regulatory challenges are facing the indoor gathering as well. The event features the top 12 nations competing over a week of competition. The 2021 event will be staged April 13–18.

MOTORSPORTS: Indy 500 Hopes to be at 50 Percent Capacity

When the Indy 500 races on its new August 23, organizers hope to have spectators in the stands at 50 percent of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s capacity. IMS president Doug Boles sent an email to ticket holders last week saying the aim is “to accommodate at least 50 percent of your original ticket quantities in or near your current seating location.” With its suites, grandstands and infield tickets, the race typically can sell 350,000 tickets, leading the potential number of spectators at 175,000 for the race.

SURVEY: Parents Ready to See Kids Return to Play

Phoenix-based Huddle Up Group has released results of a new second-round survey focused on parents of young athletes that play travel sports that concludes that parents are more confident in putting their children back into sports than they were a month ago—76.6 percent in June compared with 61.7 percent in May. The consulting firm surveyed more than 2,700 people in its first survey and included a “select portion” of those who initially responded to the first study in its second survey.

“Most of the survey results were consistent with the responses from a month ago,” said Huddle Up Group Founder CEO Jon Schmieder. “However there were several subtle shifts that host destinations and event owners should pay attention to going forward. These parents are essentially the decision makers for their kids, and thusly our primary client in the end, so we need to make sure we are all in tune with their viewpoints on the issues of safety.”

Among other findings:

• Parents were the most confident in putting their kids back into sports in September with 84.8 percent stating they would feel safe to do so by then (an increase of 7 percentage points).
• Parents have less confidence in their kids returning to play after September, with the confidence percentage falling more than four points to 80.2 percent.
• When comparing the two studies, sentiment for regional drive market events versus longer trips (including flights) were relatively flat.
• Social distancing remains parents’ primary concerns before letting their kids participate, with temperature testing second.

Friday, June 26

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Morehouse College Cancels Football Season

Morehouse College in Atlanta has become one of the first universities to announce it will not play football in the fall. In an open letter, university President David Thomas, said the historically Black college would not participate in any NCAA or Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Division II sports this fall. The move also affects the school’s cross-country team. All athletic scholarships will still be honored, he said.

“Like all of the decisions we’ve made related to COVID-19, this was a difficult one but was made with the health and well-being of our students and community in mind,” Thomas wrote. “It follows my intention to maintain a safe campus in hopes that our students will be able to return in August. Our Maroon Tiger teams travel to other NCAA institutions and cannot compete without breaking from social distancing guidelines still maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sporting events also invite individuals to our campus who will not be subject to the testing and monitoring that we plan to implement for our students, faculty, and staff.”

Thursday, June 25

AUTO RACING: IndyCar Welcomes Fans to Iowa Speedway

The IndyCar Series will have a limited number of fans for its REV Group Grand Prix at the RoadAmerica course in Wisconsin during the race weekend scheduled for July 9–12.

All guests will be screened in their vehicles with contactless temperature checks before entering the parking areas, and only essential racing personnel will have access to the paddock. A PPE kit that includes a face mask as well as hand sanitizer will be provided to each guest upon arrival. The race weekend will feature two full points races for the IndyCar Series July 11 and 12. All active-duty first responders including law enforcement, fire, paramedics and emergency medical technicians will be admitted free of charge by showing valid identification.

IndyCar previously announced that it will have a limited number of fans at a doubleheader of races on July 17–18 at Iowa Speedway with the Iowa IndyCar 250 on back-to-back nights while Mark Miles, the president and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp., has told Indiana media that the Indianapolis 500 will race as currently scheduled in August only if fans are allowed in attendance — and if not in August, then the race will be delayed again. A Fourth of July race weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course will run without spectators.

SOCCER: CONCACAF Qualifying To Be Modified

CONCACAF will revise its World Cup qualifying format following FIFA’s decision to remove September dates from the international calendar. The hexagonal competition was scheduled to have two games each in September, October and November, followed by two matches apiece in March and September of 2021. The U.S. was to have been in the six-nation hexagonal with Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica and either El Salavdor or Canada.

Among the possible alternate formats under discussion would be having three groups of four, much like the old semifinal round. The group winners would qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and there would be playoff opportunities for some teams that don’t finish first. The U.S., Mexico and Costa Rica would be placed in different groups.

HORSE RACING: Kentucky Derby Allows Fans Under Strict Guidelines

Churchill Downs announced that after consultation with Governor Andy Beshear and state public health officials, the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will occur with spectators under strict guidelines. The Oaks will take place September 4 and the Kentucky Derby on September 5.

Among the steps that will be taken to protect fan safety include venue capacity reductions with access throughout the facility severely limited; barn area access restricted to essential personnel; a revised Fan Code of Conduct that will encourage those on the grounds to wear masks at all times; and changes to in-venue operations to limit person-to-person touchpoints.

“The impact of the Kentucky Derby extends well beyond the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “It is an incredibly important time for the city of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky both culturally, economically and with respect to our time-honored traditions. Both employees and guests are asked to take an active role in following all guidelines. We must all do our part to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.”

Tickets purchased for the originally scheduled Kentucky Derby Week dates are valid for the new dates. Guests may arrive on the new dates in September with their printed ticket or mobile ticket to be scanned for entry at the gates.

NFL: Hall of Fame Game Canceled

The NFL Hall of Fame Game between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers has been canceled, according to NFL Network and ESPN. The game was scheduled for August 6 and the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony in Canton, Ohio, on August 8 has been postponed to 2021. Hall of Fame president David Baker previously said the game and ceremony were on as scheduled, but there were contingencies in place if postponement was necessary. It is the biggest event the NFL has had to cancel because of the coronavirus.

Wednesday, June 24

BASEBALL: MLB Sets Long-Awaited Return Date

Play Ball … finally.

Major League Baseball will start a truncated 60-game season on either July 23 or 24 in empty ballparks after a drawn-out saga amid the coronavirus pandemic that included months of acrimony and public posturing.

The season will include bringing the designated hitter to games between National League teams for the first time and instituting the radical innovation of starting extra innings with a runner on second base. Players will start reporting for the resumption of training on July 1. Every team but one is planning to have training at their regular-season ballpark; the Toronto Blue Jays have to get permission from the Canadian government.

Each team will play 10 games against each of its four division rivals and 20 total games against the five clubs in the corresponding regional division in the other league, according to The Associated Press. This will be MLB’s shortest season since 1878. No decision has been made on whether fans can attend games.

RUNNING: New York City Marathon Canceled

The New York City Marathon has been canceled. This year’s event on November 1 was set to be the 50th running of the event, which began in 1970 and has grown to become the world’s largest marathon with 53,640 finishers in 2019. Marathons have had a tough go of the marketplace during the pandemic. The Berlin Marathon was canceled on Wednesday and earlier this month the 124th annual Boston Marathon, an April tradition that this year was rescheduled for September 14 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was canceled outright.

TENNIS: USTA Brings Back Wheelchair Competition

The USTA has reversed course on an earlier decision to cancel the wheelchair competition at the U.S. Open in New York and will stage the event September 10–13 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

When the governing body announced last week that it would stage the U.S. Open without spectators, it had decided to eliminate several other disciplines normally staged during the competition. The move drew criticism from the International Paralympic Committee, among others, who said they weren’t consulted beforehand on the decision. The move to reinstate the competition was made following multiple virtual meetings with a group of wheelchair athletes and the International Tennis Federation over the last week.

The wheelchair competition will now feature men’s and women’s singles and doubles and quad singles and doubles, with draw sizes similar to past U.S. Opens. Wheelchair athletes that compete will have to adhere to the same health and safety procedures as all players participating in the U.S. Open.

Monday, June 22

SOCCER: Outbreak Forces Orlando Pride Out of NWSL Tournament

The National Women’s Soccer League’s tournament will be an eight-team affair instead of nine after six players and four staffers with the Orlando Pride tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the team’s withdrawl from the event in Utah. The NWSL will become the first professional league in the United States to return to competition with the Challenge Cup starting June 27 with group stage games at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah, with the semifinals and finals held at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. All housing, training, and competition needs for teams will be created in the Salt Lake Valley as an “NWSL Village” to control as much of the environment as possible.

GOLF: PGA Championship a Go in San Francisco

The 2020 PGA Championship will be held August 3–9 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco without spectators, the city of San Francisco and PGA of America confirmed. The decision to play without spectators was made in coordination with the state of California and city and county of San Francisco. Prior to its postponement on March 17, the PGA Championship was scheduled for May 14-17.

“Welcoming the PGA Championship to San Francisco is the high point of a very unusual year. We are looking forward to sharing the beauty of TPC Harding Park and San Francisco with the players, the media and viewers all over the world,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association, the official destination marketing organization.

Friday, June 19

VOLLEYBALL: AVP Tour Moves Season to Three Events in Long Beach

The AVP Tour will scrap its 2020 season in place of an event series to be held in Long Beach, California, over three weekend in July and August. The AVP Champions Cup Series, Presented by Acer, will begin on July 18–19, and continue July 25–26 and August 1–2. The event will feature an eight-team main draw and each weekend will offer a $200,000 purse plus a $100,000 bonus pool for teams with the top finishes.

The matches will be closed to spectators but will be live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video. NBC will also present an early round men’s match on July 18 and the women’s final on July 19. NBCSN will air one finals match in the second and third weekends, respectively, which will also be simulcast on Amazon Prime Video.

MOTORSPORTS: Pike Peaks Hill Climb Closed to Spectators

The 98th running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will be held without spectators. The motorsports race up Pikes Peak had earlier been moved from its traditional June dates to August 30. While the event will still take place in August, organizers have opted to prohibit spectators after input from state and local authorities.

“For the first time, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be staged without its loyal, enthusiastic fans lining the course and no one is more disappointed than we are,” said Executive Director Megan Leatham. “Our staff and board of directors have discussed and analyzed multiple scenarios in which our race could be staged. However, with the government-issued long-term mandates for wearing personal protective equipment, providing appropriate social distancing, and limiting the size of group gatherings, we feel it is impossible to safely host spectators at the race on August 30.”

A popular downtown street festival has also been canceled. “We typically welcome over 30,000 fans but in light of current government guidelines we feel it would be irresponsible to hold the event this year,” Leatham said. “The risk to our competitors, sponsors, volunteers and our fans is just too high.”

“Despite this unforeseen challenge, our iconic motorsports event has proven its ability to adapt and endure, and it will continue to do so this summer, next year, and in preparation for the 100th Running in 2022,” said Board Chairman Tom Osborne.

Thursday, June 18

ENDURANCE SPORTS: USA Triathlon Cancels Age Group, Youth and Junior Nationals

USA Triathlon has canceled the Toyota USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships, scheduled for August 8–9 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have been canceled due to current local government guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The cancellation was required after the City of Milwaukee informed USA Triathlon that it is unable to guarantee a permit for the event weekend due to ongoing state and local restrictions on gatherings.

“While we are disappointed to have to cancel the marquee event on USA Triathlon’s National Championships calendar, health and safety concerns take precedence in this challenging time,” said Brian D’Amico, USA Triathlon director of events. “We are pleased to be able to offer deferrals to the 2021 or 2022 Age Group National Championships without the need to re-qualify, or to another USA Triathlon-owned event in 2021 or 2022. We appreciate our community’s patience and understanding during this unprecedented time, and we look forward to gathering again in Milwaukee next August.”

The Toyota USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships will return to Milwaukee the next two years, including August 7–8, 2021 and August 6–7, 2022.

“We are deeply disappointed that our beautiful shores of Lake Michigan will not play host to the 2020 USA Triathlon AGNC,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee. “Our city is an ideal destination to host this event, but we understand the need to put the safety of the athletes and Milwaukeeans first during this unique time in our history. We thank USA Triathlon for their partnership and graciously agreeing to host both the 2021 and 2022 Championships in Milwaukee. Sports Milwaukee, championed by Visit Milwaukee, looks forward to welcoming the triathletes back for the next two years.”

USA Triathlon also will be canceling its 2020 Youth & Junior Nationals, initially scheduled for August 1–2 in West Chester, Ohio. The Youth & Junior Nationals will return to West Chester’s Voice of America Park on July 31 and August 1, 2021, as well as 2022 with dates to be determined.

Wednesday, June 17

ACTION SPORTS: Dew Tour Set for 2021 Return to Long Beach

In light of the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Summer Games and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dew Tour’s annual summer skateboard competition in Long Beach, California, will now be held May 2021 and serve as the last Olympic qualifying event in the U.S. before the Tokyo Games. In June 2019, Dew Tour served as the first global Olympic qualifying event in the U.S. for men’s and women’s skateboard street and park competitions.

“Postponing the Dew Tour Long Beach weekend until 2021 is the best decision to ensure the safety of our athletes, fans, partners, vendors, and staff during these unprecedented times,” said Courtney Gresik, Dew Tour vice president and general manager. “The Dew Tour remains committed to the progression of skateboarding, furthering awareness and appreciation of the sport as we lead up to the 2021 Olympic Games. We look forward to our return to Long Beach in 2021 for a weekend packed with fun, excitement, and Olympic-level competition that our fans have come to expect from our events.”

TENNIS: ATP, WTA Tours Schedule Returns

The two major professional tennis tours released their schedules for a modified 2020 season, including the two Grand Slams remaining between the traditional dates for the U.S. Open and the rescheduled French Open.

The ATP Tour will resume action on August 14 with the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. After the Western & Southern Open and U.S. Open in New York, the men’s tour will go to Europe for three clay-court events before the French Open starts September 27. Further events beyond the French Open are expected to be announced in mid-July.

The WTA Tour will restart its season August 3 with the Palermo Ladies Open in Italy. After its swing into the United States for the tournaments in New York, the tour will go back to Europe with events in Turkey, Spain, Italy and then the French Open. The WTA Tour’s schedule release extends through the end of the year with a full swing through Asia during the fall.

SOCCER: Champions League Finish Modified

The UEFA Champions League finish will be modified into a knockout format tournament with the championship August 23 in Lisbon, Portugal, instead of Turkey.

Matches will be held at two stadiums in Lisbon for the tournament, which was suspended in March. The quarterfinals will be held August 12–15, with the semifinals on August 18–19. Four teams have already advanced to the quarterfinals before the round of 16 was suspended; the remaining round of 16 home-and-home matches will be held August 7-8 but it has not yet been decided if they will also be in Portugal.

The Europa League will be finished from the quarterfinal stage through the championship in the same format from August 10–21 in Germany, with the championship in Cologne.

Tuesday, June 16

NASCAR: All-Star Race Moves to Bristol

NASCAR will hold the 36th All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time. The July 15 prime-time race will include 30,000 fans in attendance as allowed by the state of Tennessee.

Bristol Motor Speedway will have modified event procedures and protocols which will include social distancing amongst groups of fans in the grandstands and individually in concession lines; enhanced cleaning and sanitation in high-touch, high-traffic public areas; added hand-sanitizer stations; limited guests in suites; and infield admission for race team and operation personnel only. Fans will be allowed to bring in one soft-sided clear bag with food and beverage and coolers will be prohibited.

This year’s all-star event will be the second time it has been run at a facility other than Charlotte Motor Speedway, joining Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1986.

GOLF: LPGA Tour Schedules Return to Play

The LPGA Tour will resume its season with back-to-back events in Northwest Ohio starting July 23 with the Marathon LPGA Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio. That event will be followed by a new three-day event in the Toledo area, the LPGA Drive On Championship starting July 31 at Inverness Club. The LPGA Drive On Championship will feature 144 players competing for a $1 million purse and will take place without sponsors, pro-ams or spectators.

SURFING: US Open Canceled for 2020

The 2020 Vans US Open of Surfing presented by Swatch in Huntington Beach Pier, California, has been canceled. Event organizers said in a statement they look forward to returning to southside of the Huntington Beach Pier in 2021.

“The Vans US Open of Surfing has always been about bringing people together in a healthy, fun and interactive environment and given the size and scale of the event, we can’t see a way to do that this year without sacrificing the very thing that makes it so special,” said Jennifer Lau, vice president of action sports at IMG. “This event would not be the same without the amazing surf, skate, and BMX fans who come out to connect and have fun year after year. We can’t wait to return in 2021 and will be working harder than ever to stage another world-class event at Huntington Beach next summer.”

TENNIS: USTA Confirms U.S. Open To Be Held

The United States Tennis Association will hold the U.S. Open as scheduled starting August 31 in New York City at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as part of a doubleheader of events with the Western & Southern Open, a combined men’s and women’s event traditionally held in Ohio, moved to New York City to serve as a warmup for players who have been inactive for months. According to The New York Times, players at the U.S. Open will be frequently tested for coronavirus and be kept together in a hotel with some restrictions to their movements outside of the hotel and tournament site. There would be no fans on site and players would be restricted in how many people they would be able to bring with them to the tournament.

Monday, June 15

BASKETBALL: WNBA Tips Off in July

The WNBA has announced elements of its plan to begin the 2020 season, which will start in July with all games and playoffs held at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The season will be 22 games for each team in the regular season followed by a traditional playoff format. IMG Academy will be the home for all 12 teams and serve as a single site for training camp, games and housing. The league will continue working with medical specialists, public health experts and government officials on guidelines to ensure that medical protocols and protections are in place. Under the current plan, teams will report to IMG Academy in early July and regular-season action will tip off in late July after a team training camp period.  The season will be played without fans in attendance with games broadcast on ESPN, CBS Sports Network and NBA TV.

Friday, June 12

TRIATHLON: USA Triathlon Cancels California Event

USA Triathlon has canceled its 2020 Legacy Triathlon, Open Water Swim Competition and Long Beach PATCO Sprint Triathlon American Cup, which had been scheduled for July 17–19 in Long Beach, California. Local government guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic caused the national governing body to call off the event, as well as the Toyota USA Paratriathlon National Championships, which were scheduled for July 18 as part of the same event weekend. That event is expected to have a new date and location in 2020.

The Legacy Triathlon will return to Long Beach in 2021. The event is designed to be an annual competition to draw on interest from the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. The event, first held in 2019, is held at Alamitos Beach, which is expected to host triathlon events at the Games.

Thursday, June 11

COLLEGE SPORTS: Pac-12 Commissioner Says Football is Ready as Scheduled

Pac-12 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott said during an interview this week that “it’s our objective if it can be done safely to play a full college football season,” and that Power 5 commissioners are in constant contact to make sure that each league is able to start on time, adding “we’re all locked at the hip.”

Scott was interviewed by Bonnie Bernstein during the webinar event “Cynopsis: The Great Sports Disruption.” When it comes to college football, “if we want a full season and a playoff at the end, we all have to agree that we’re going to start the season together,” Scott said. “It’s going to require a huge level of collaboration.”

The issue of if a team has an outbreak of COVID-19 and how that would affect the schedule has not been determined just yet, Scott said, but they are being discussed.

“If it gets to point where you don’t have enough players to participate, that decision will be made by the school with the conference office,” Scott said. “One scenario we’re thinking about is whether there will be a buffer of couple of weeks at the end of the season in case games need to be made up. In other words, we could start on time — but there could be a spike during the season, a second wave as people are describing it. There could be an issue that a particular team has that could cause a game to be rescheduled. There’s a lot of scenario planning going on in that regard.”

Scott said that for foreign student-athletes who would have to quarantine after coming back to campus that it would be a decision made by individual conference schools rather than a blanket policy dictated by the league office. He added that for athletes who are not comfortable playing because of any risk of infection, “(Our university presidents) have been very clear that we need to be respectful of any decision made by any of our student-athletes and their families if they’re not comfortable.”

LACROSSE: PLL Event Coming to Utah

The Premier Lacrosse League’s two-week tournament without fans starting July 25 will be held at Zion’s Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah, the same site for most of the NWSL Tournament that will be starting June 27. The PLL event will have seven teams playing in a 14-game group format for the first week, then having single-elimination play the second week. The league will implement COVID-19 preventative measures and restrict travel in and out of the event with an estimated 300 people on site in total.

BASKETBALL: TBT Heading to Columbus

The Basketball Tournament will be held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, starting July 4 with the entire event held at one site and broadcast on ESPN. TBT, as it’s commonly referred to, is a winner-take-all tournament with more than $1 million at stake. It will be a 24-team tournament. TBT founder and CEO Jon Mugar told ESPN last month that they plan is to have a maximum of 50 people in the gym at one time.

ENDURANCE SPORTS: Xterra World Championship Canceled

The 25th annual Xterra World Championship in Maui scheduled for November 8 and the 13th annual Xterra Trail Run World Championship half-marathon on Oahu on December 6 have been cancelled. The decision comes after several other events this summer in Avon, Colorado; Pelham, Alabama, and Utah were also canceled.

Wednesday, June 10

SOCCER: MLS Tournament Starting July 8

Major League Soccer will return to action with a tournament starting July 8 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The league started its much-hyped 25th year of competition in March before the season was suspended after two weeks.

The tournament will go from July 8 through August 11 with all 26 teams competing in a World Cup-style tournament. There will be a group stage with six groups; the Western Conference will have three four-team groups and the Eastern Conference will have three groups, two with four teams apiece and one with six teams. Each team will play three group games, with the top two in each group moving to the knockout round and the four best third-place finishers also advancing.

After the group stage, the round of 16 will be July 25–28 followed by the quarterfinals on July 30–August 1, semifinals on August 5–6 and championship on August 11. The group stage games will count toward the MLS regular season standings. MLS previously canceled its All-Star Game against the Liga MX All-Stars in Los Angeles as well as two other intra-league competitions between it and Mexico’s top league, the Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup.

AMATEUR SPORTS: AAU Junior Olympics Heading to Brevard County

The AAU Junior Olympic Games will be heading to Brevard County, Florida. Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Peter Cranis confirmed the news to Florida Today.

Cranis said he expects up to 15 sports will be contested at the event during the last week in July and the first week in August. There will be up to 3,000 athletes competing with as many as 10,000 room nights. Cranis said Brevard School District and Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department venues will be used to host the event. The AAU Junior Olympic Games, held annually since 1967, will be moving from its scheduled site of Hampton Roads, Virginia.

GOLF: LPGA Major in France Cancelled

The Evian Championship women’s major golf tournament in France has been canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak, the first LPGA major to do so this season. Tournament chairman Franck Riboud says the cancellation is “unavoidable in view of the situation with regards to U.S. travel to continental Europe.” The Women’s British Open is still set for August 20–23 in Troon, Scotland. The three majors played in the United States have been rescheduled for later in the year.

Tuesday, June 9

COLLEGE SPORTS: NCAA Plans Football Workout Schedule, Fall Championships

The NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee is expected to approve a six-week practice calendar this week, reported Sports Illustrated, which would be another sign that the college football season plans to start on schedule. The NCAA began allowing voluntary workouts on June 1 but not every school started on that date. The four-phased plan includes six weeks of workouts with preseason camps starting in August. The earliest coaches could start interacting with players is July 6. The report comes as the NCAA announced that it plans to keep the same dates and sites for the NCAA fall championships as already scheduled. The NCAA Competition Oversight Committee made the announcement today, though it did note that the situation could still be fluid. Championships in fall sports are currently scheduled from November 20 through January 11.

Friday, June 5

ARCHERY: World Archery Field Championships in South Dakota Moved to 2022

World Archery, the sports’ international federation, has rescheduled its 2020 World Archery Field Championships in Yankton, South Dakota, to 2022. The event had been scheduled for September 2020 at the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Center, which is the largest dedicated archery venue in the world. The venue has previously hosted world youth and indoor championships as well. Officials had considered a one-year postponement but other events in 2021 made the dates difficult. In addition, the 2020 event had been scheduled to serve as a qualifying event for the 2021 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, but that event has also been rescheduled for 2022. The reshuffling will result in a new qualifying event for the World Games to be announced later. While the field archery world championship has been moved, the Yankton venue is still scheduled to host the 2021 Hyundai World Archery Championships.

Thursday, June 4

BASKETBALL: NBA Restart Plan Approved by Owners, but G League Cancelled

The NBA board of governors approved a plan that will restart the league in late July with all games held at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports complex on the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida. The players union is expected to give its approval to the plan on Friday.

The regular season would start around July 31 and have eight games for all 22 teams invited to Florida to determine playoff seeding. There would be 13 teams from the Western Conference and nine teams from the Eastern Conference participating, with the cutoff that teams must be within six games of a playoff spot to participate. The playoffs would then begin in August and the NBA Finals would stretch into the fall with the NBA Finals finishing on or before October 12. For an NBA play-in series to happen to determine the No. 8 seed on either playoff bracket, the ninth-place team would have to be within four games of eighth place once the eight-game schedule is completed.

While the NBA season will resume, the remainder of the 2019-20 G League season, which was suspended March 12, has been canceled. The regular season was scheduled to conclude March 28.

NASCAR: Cup Series Schedule Update Released

NASCAR released its latest set of scheduled races, with 23 across its three series including seven Cup Series events that would carry the season through August 2. The schedule also includes six Xfinity Series races, five Trucks Series races and three ARCA events.

Among the finalized dates for the Cup Series are a doubleheader on June 27–28 at Pocono Speedway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania; July 5 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was part of an IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader race weekend; July 12 at Kentucky Speedway; the NASCAR All-Star Open non-points race on July 15 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; July 19 at Texas Motor Speedway and July 23 at Kansas Speedway before an August 2 race at New Hampshire Speedway.

HOCKEY: NHL Playoff Format Further Detailed

The National Hockey League and players union agreed that the qualifying round for its Stanley Cup playoff tournament will be a best-of-five series with the remainder of the playoffs a best-of-seven series. The league announced that the tournament will be reseeded after every round.

The playoffs this year will be expanded to 24 teams from the traditional 16, with an eight-team qualifying round and a round-robin competition among the league’s top four teams to determine seeding for the official First Round. The top four teams in each conference will play each other once to determine the order of the top four seeds in the first round of the playoffs while at the same time, a qualifying round will also go on in each conference. The round-robin games will be played with regular season rules regarding overtime and shootouts, while the qualifying round games will be played with playoff overtime rules.

Candidates for the hub cities that will be used for the playoffs include Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver. There will be two cities picked from that list. The league has not yet determined which cities will host. Negotiations will continue with the players on health and safety protocols.

Other News

• The National Lacrosse League has announced that it will not continue its 2019­–2020 season. The indoor lacrosse league had suspended its regular season on March 12 and announced the cancellation of its regular season on April 6. The new announcement will eliminate a postseason or the crowing of a champion.

• Organizers of the 42nd annual BOLDERBoulder in Colorado have announced that the 2020 race, which had been postponed from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, is canceled and will be rescheduled for Memorial Day 2021.  Participants already registered will be offered options and alternatives for the 2021 BOLDERBoulder and beyond. 

• The PGA Tour will hold an additional tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, to take the place of an event scheduled for Iowa that was canceled. The tour said the event will take place July 9–12 on the week preceding the already scheduled Memorial Tournament that will be at the same location. The event will be played without spectators and takes the place of the recently canceled John Deere Classic, which will return to the schedule next year. The tour hoped to allow fans at the John Deere Classic in the Quad Cities area, but has announced that local and state-related restrictions on gatherings will cause the event to be canceled.

• A scheduled August 29 college football game between Notre Dame and Navy for Dublin, Ireland, will instead be played at Annapolis, Maryland, at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Labor Day Weekend. The teams played at Aviva Stadium in 2012 with more than 35,000 fans traveling from the United States. In 2020, around 40,000 people from the U.S. were expected to attend. Both programs plan for a return to Ireland in the coming years. The rescheduled site will be the first time that Notre Dame will play on Navy’s home field in the rivalry’s 94-year history.

• Formula 1 will start its season on July 5 with a race in Austria as part of an eight-race trek throughout Europe that includes two doubleheader events. The season starts with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, followed a week later on July 12 by a second race at the same track. After the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 19, there will be a one-week break before consecutive weekends August 2 and August 9 at Silverstone in England, then the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona on August 16, the Belgian Grand Prix on August 30 and the Italian Grand Prix on September 6. None of the events will be open to fans. The circuit says it plans to race at least 15 times this year, with further races throughout the world to be announced at a later date.

• The Maryland Cycling Classic, scheduled for its debut on the UCI Pro Series calendar in September, will be postponed to 2021. The announcement was made by the event organizer with state, city and Baltimore County partners. Organizers also announced UnitedHealthcare has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the race starting in 2021. The UCI, cycling’s international federation, will announce its 2021 calendar later this year with the event’s date announced at that time. The event is owned by Sport and Entertainment Corp. of Maryland in conjunction with the Maryland Sports Commission.

• Burton Snowboards announced that the company will cancel the 2021 Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, which was scheduled for March 1–6, 2021, at Vail Mountain Resort in Vail, Colorado. The Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships is the world’s longest-running snowboard event and Burton has owned and run the event since 1983.

• Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross told CNBC in an interview that “I think there definitely will be a football season this year,” and that he plans to have fans in the stadium. The NFL has not made a decision on whether to allow fans into stadiums during the 2020 season, but the league plans to play its full 16-game slate starting September 10. The league announced when it released the schedule that it will schedule all 2020 games in the United States and will not have games in Mexico City or London. Ross’ comments came the Pittsburgh Steelers’ director of communications said on Twitter  that only 50 percent of individual game tickets will be sold to the public because the team wants to be prepared for social distancing scenarios.

• World TeamTennis will play its 45th annual season at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, starting July 12 with up to 500 fans allowed at the outdoor matches. The schedule will include at least three matches per day at The Greenbrier’s 2,500-seat outdoor stadium, with an indoor court to be installed as a backup option, for the league’s nine franchises. World TeamTennis said in a release it “will engage with its teams and league and venue personnel in conducting all necessary testing and screening for COVID-19, as well as outfitting all parties with the personal protective equipment necessary to conduct its 2020 season matches while preserving the health and safety of everyone at The Greenbrier over the three-week season.”

• The 2021 World Transplant Games, scheduled for May 29–June 5 in Houston, have been canceled. The announcement was made jointly by the Harris County—Houston Sports Authority and the World Transplant Games Federation. The 2021 Games would have been the first held in the United States in 41 years. The event was expected to draw more than 4,000 participants.

• USA BMX will relaunch its National Championship Series with the inaugural Nabholz Bounce Back Nationals in Pryor, Oklahoma, at Mayes County BMX on June 5–7. USA BMX has worked with local and state officials to ensure the event can be hosted while addressing concerns of social distancing, sanitation, customer interaction and other event specific modifications.

• USA Triathlon has decided to reschedule the 2020 USA Triathlon Clydesdale & Athena National Championships that were scheduled for June 28 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The event will now take place as part of Team Magic’s 35th Annual Buster Britton Memorial Triathlon on August 15, at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama. Athletes currently registered for the 2020 Clydesdale & Athena National Championships have a variety of deferral options, including transferring their registration to the rescheduled 2020 event in Pelham, the 2021 Clydesdale & Athena National Championships in Chattanooga, or any future Team Magic event in 2020 or 2021. USA Triathlon also announced that the 2021 Clydesdale & Athena National Championships have been awarded to the Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon. The event is scheduled for June 27.

• This year’s Triple Crown of horse racing will be unlike any other in its history, with the 152nd annual Belmont Stakes — traditionally the final leg of the three biggest races in the world — instead going first this year on June 20 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It will be the first time in the history of the Triple Crown that the Belmont will be the first leg. The Belmont Stakes, which will be held without fans, will also be shortened to a mile and an eighth instead of its traditional mile and a half distance, the longest of any Triple Crown race. The Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Maryland will take place on October 3, announced The Stronach Group Chairman and President Belinda Stronach and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan over the weekend. The Preakness will now be held four weeks after the 146th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, which was postponed from May 2 to September 5. The Kentucky Oaks will move from its previous date on May 1 to September 4 and the two-week Kentucky Derby Festival will also shift in conjunction with the new race dates.

• The U.S. Track and Field and the local organizing committee in Greensboro, North Carolina, have announced the cancellation of the 2020 Masters National Championships, which were scheduled to be held July 9–12 at North Carolina A&T State University’s Ike Belk Track at BB&T Stadium.

• Ironman and its host city partners have announced that the 2020 editions of the World Championship in Hawaii and the 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand, will be postponed. The championship event in Kailua, Kona, was scheduled to take place in October but will now be staged February 6, 2021. A new date for the New Zealand race, which was set for November, has not been determined, although efforts are being made to stage the race in 2021.

• USA Wrestling has formed four special committees to help its members and athletes deal with specific issues in the sport caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. That national governing body’s committees will include experienced professionals in a range of industries who will volunteer their time. “USA Wrestling is tremendously grateful and blessed that these talented leaders are willing to step up for wrestling at this time,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “All have a passion for the sport and a commitment to help guide our organization in its decision-making process. With this assistance, our sport will have the best possible direction to help us get through the current situation and emerge successfully, with a clear vision for the future.”

• USA Gymnastics has announced it will not hold its premier events in 2020 and will reformat the 2020 National Congress and trade show to a virtual event. The affected events including the GK U.S. Classic, U.S. Gymnastics Championships for women’s and men’s artistic, and the USA Gymnastics Championships for rhythmic, trampoline & tumbling, and acrobatics. The national governing body will announce new dates soon for the rescheduled 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials and the 2021 National Congress and trade show. The GK U.S. Classic scheduled for May 23 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, will take place at the same venue on May 22, 2021 and the U.S. Gymnastics Championships scheduled for June 4-7 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, will take place in the original venue on June 3-6, 2021.

• The Diamond League, track and field’s most high-profile circuit during non-Olympic years, has released a revised schedule starting August 14 in Monaco and having 11 events, many of them one-day exhibitions rather than full showcases. There will not be a final championship meet and this year’s scheduled host, Zurich, will host in 2021 and 2022 instead. One of the events on the 2020 schedule is Eugene, Oregon on October 4 at the renovated Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. The track will host a series of showcase events over the next few years including the rescheduled 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in June 2021 and the World Athletics Championships in July 2022. Eugene was scheduled to host the 2022 Diamond League championship but as part of the rearranged schedule, it will host the championship in 2023 instead.

• The World Baseball Classic, scheduled for 2021 at sites throughout the world including Los Angeles, San Diego and Miami, will be postponed until 2023 according to multiple reports. The tournament was scheduled to start in late February and conclude in March at Marlins Park in Florida. The qualifying rounds, scheduled for spring 2020 in Arizona, have already been postponed.

• USA Taekwondo has canceled its 2020 National Championship, which had been scheduled for San Antonio, Texas. The event at the Alamodome, which was scheduled for July 1–7, would have marked the first time in five years the tournament was held in Texas. It was expected to attract more than 4,000 athletes. In the hopes of still crowning national championships, the national governing body announced plans for “The USA Taekwondo 2020 National Championship Series,” which will consist of three qualifying events nationwide with a chance to compete in a to-be-determined national championships final. The NGB said it would work with cities and venues to host the events in September and October, with a championship final tentatively planned for November.

• DreamHack, one of the biggest gaming and digital festivals held throughout each year with pro, amateur and varsity esports tournaments, has canceled events in Sweden and Montreal and postponed DreamHack Valencia in Spain until October 8–12. The events in Sweden and Montreal will take place in 2021 instead while its five other festivals scheduled for the fall and winter, including November 13–15 in Atlanta, are still on the schedule.

• Epic Games has canceled the 2020 Fortnite World Cup, announcing that its remaining events for 2020 will be hosted online while another of the biggest gaming events in the world, EVO 2020, has been switched to online-only instead of being in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas starting July 31.

• World Long Drive, which organizes driving for distance competitions, has announced it will cancel its regular season and Q-series, although a championship event in Chicago on September 3–9 will remain. Executive Director Matt Farrell said the decision was made with athlete safety in mind, as well as the safety of families, staff, fans, vendors, suppliers, venues and partners.

• The Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, the world’s largest 10K with 60,000 participants, is moving to Thanksgiving from its traditional Fourth of July date because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta Track Club says the November 26 date will minimize the impact on retailers in downtown Atlanta because most businesses will be closed for the holiday.

• ESPN has canceled X Games Minneapolis citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. The event had been scheduled for July 17–19 and would have marked the fourth consecutive year the event was staged in Minneapolis, including U.S. Bank Stadium. The X Games moved its signature summer event to Minneapolis in 2017 and has seen attendance regularly top 100,000 over the course of the event. The 2020 event marked the end of a two-year extension that ESPN had signed with Sports Minneapolis and U.S. Bank Stadium in 2018.

• The USA Masters Games, a multisport competition, has announced it will move its 2020 event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to 2021. The event had been scheduled for June 19–21 and June 26–28, 2020. The new dates in 2021 will be June 24–27. The event will continue to be called the 2020 Masters Games. While the Masters Games will be postponed, plans are still continuing for the 2020 State Games of Michigan. Details of that event are being discussed, including a potential shift in schedule and event locations, said Eric Engelbarts, who serves as the executive director of both the State Games of Michigan and the Local Organizing Committee for the 2020 USA Masters Games.

• The World Games, an international multisport competition expected to attract more than 3,600 athletes from 100 countries to Birmingham, Alabama, has been rescheduled from 2021 to 2022—a consequence of the rescheduling of the Olympic Summer Games. The new dates will be July 7–17, 2022.

• The world’s most famous cycling race, the Tour de France, has been postponed after French President Emmanuel Macron announced all public events with large crowds have been canceled until at least mid-July. A new start date has been set for August 29, with the event scheduled to run through September 20. The Tour de France was last canceled in 1946 after the end of World War II. The Tour of Utah, the only multi-day men’s cycling stage race in North America on the UCI Pro Series, has been canceled. This year’s event was to run from August 3–9.