When can you watch live sports again? Here is what you need to know about what’s ahead
Baby steps seems like the appropriate way to describe sports’ slow return across the globe. It’s a slow process and there will be some wobbles and falls.
But as communities begin to reopen the doors of businesses shuttered since awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic was driven home by the swift cancellation of sports two months ago, games are poised to be part of the comeback.
We don’t yet know when (and how )football will be played. But it’s worth nothing that, for now, no changes have been announced for the 2020 college and NFL seasons.
Here’s the latest news from a few major sports and leagues around the United States ... and a glimpse into when you might be able to watch games and events live again.
BASEBALL
The Associated Press, quoting a source, reported Monday that Major League Baseball’s team owners have approved a proposal to be presented to the players’ union that would resume competition during the first week of July, with each team playing an 82-game schedule.
The proposal includes starting games in empty stadiums, similar to what is currently happening in South Korea and Taiwan.
Spring training would re-start in mid-June.
Rosters would be expanded to 30 and the designated hitter would become part of National League games.
In a shortened season, teams would face opponents from their own division and interleague matchups would be limited to AL Central vs. NL Central, AL East vs. NL East and AL West vs. NL West.
Games would be played at home ballparks but could switch to spring training stadiums or neutral sites if government or medical approvals can’t be obtained for home games.
Postseason play would be expanded from 10 to 14 teams, doubling the number of wild card participants in each league from two to four.
AUTO RACING
NASCAR is set to return to the track Sunday in Darlington, S.C., with the first of four races in 11 days at that particular track in South Carolina and Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.
Restarting at those two tracks makes sense due to their proximity to most of the NASCAR drivers’ bases in the Charlotte area. No fans will be in the stands for any races this month.
GOLF
The Charles Schwab Challenge at the Colonial County Club in Fort Worth, Texas, is scheduled for June 11-14.
But that’s not the first major golf event on the calendar.
On Sunday, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson will play Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff in a team “skins game” at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. The event starts at 1 p.m. Central and will be aired by NBC, the Golf Channel and NBCSN.
On May 24, Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods will compete against Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson in the Champions for Charity event at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla.
SOCCER
On Saturday, the Bundesliga, Germany’s top-tier professional league, will become the first in Europe to resume play. It will have been 61 days between games. Fans will not be in the stands.
England’s Premier League reportedly has been given the green light to resume games on June 12, subject to the meeting of certain safety conditions.
Last week, MLS teams, including Sporting Kansas City, returned to practice under strict distancing guidelines.
“What’s going on in Germany, England and Spain and all the other leagues, really, it’s going to be a collective effort to see all the different ideas people have and what works,” said veteran Sporting KC defender Matt Besler.
This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 5:48 PM with the headline "When can you watch live sports again? Here is what you need to know about what’s ahead."