Coronavirus in sports: Masters and EPL postponed, NBA hiatus to last at least 30 days
The latest sports news as the coronavirus pandemic disrupts the globe. Pull down the page to refresh.
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What you need to know(Updated: March 16, 9:55 a.m. ET)
- The Masters - scheduled April 9-12 - has been postponed, the tournament announced Friday.
- The English Premier League announced the postponement of play Friday morning, with action hopefully resuming on April 4.
- The NBA expects its season to be on hold for at least 30 days, commissioner Adam Silver announced Thursday night. "It might mean The Finals take place in July or later," he said. The league suspended its season Wednesday night in an unprecedented move, after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. His teammate Donovan Mitchell then tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday morning.
- All upcoming Champions League and Europa League matches have been postponed.
- The NCAA announced the cancellation of its Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments Thursday afternoon, in addition to remaining winter and spring championships, including the Frozen Four and College World Series.
- English Premier League club Arsenal confirmed its manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19.
- Major League Baseball suspended all operations Thursday, which will delay the start of the regular season by at least two weeks, and players are beginning to head home from spring training.
- The NHL suspended its season Thursday afternoon. The league hopes to resume play at some point in the spring.
- The PGA Tour canceled The Players Championship after playing the first round Thursday.
WTA Tour suspended until May 2
Tournaments in Stuttgart, Istanbul, and Prague will not take place on their originally scheduled dates. An update on the remainder of the WTA European clay court schedule is expected later in the week.
March 13NFL prohibits in-person workouts
The NFL announced Friday it's prohibiting all in-person pre-draft visits with prospects indefinitely.
NHL wants players off the ice
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league wants players to remain in their club cities and to refrain from hitting the ice, even in an informal capacity, during the initial pause period the league finds itself in.
UFC Brasilia going ahead
Kevin Lee missed weight ahead of his bout at UFC Brasilia, but his fight and the event at large will take place Saturday, albeit without fans in attendance. UFC president Dana White also said Thursday night that UFC London on March 20 will proceed as currently planned, with fans in attendance.
Hawks owner to pay part-time workers
Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler is following Mark Cuban's lead and will pay all full- and part-time staff while action is on hold for at least 30 days.
F1 postpones two more races
The Bahrain GP (March 22) and Vietnam GP (April 5) will not take place on their originally scheduled dates. Officials hope the season will begin in May.
Boston Marathon rescheduled
The Boston Marathon is tentatively rescheduled for Sept. 14, organizers announced Friday morning. The race was originally scheduled April 20.
Champions League, Europa League on hold
UEFA announced the unprecedented decision to suspend all play in the Champions League and Europa League on Friday. Both competitions were to see round of 16 matches played next week.
----------March 12Gobert apologizes, won't be disciplined
Jazz star Rudy Gobert reportedly won't be fined or disciplined by the NBA for his actions prior to testing positive for COVID-19. Gobert apologized in an Instagram post late Thursday afternoon: "The first and most important thing is I would like to publicly apologize to the people that I may have endangered," he wrote. "At the time, I had no idea I was even infected."
NBA bans practices
The NBA reportedly informed teams Thursday that all practices are banned until at least Monday, as the league takes extreme measures against the coronavirus pandemic. Players are also being asked to stay within their team's market, preferably at home for as long as possible.
XFL suspends season
The XFL suspended its season Thursday due to public health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. The league was in its first season since announcing its reboot.
Australian GP canceled
Formula 1's season-opening Australian Grand Prix was canceled Thursday. Earlier in the day, McLaren Racing pulled out of the event after a team member tested positive for the coronavirus.
LPGA postpones three events
The LPGA announced the postponement of its next three events, with the hopes of rescheduling them later in 2020.
McDonald's All-American Games canceled
The 2020 McDonald's All-American Games and all its associated events were officially canceled early Thursday evening.
Minor leagues follow suit
The American Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League suspended their seasons, while Minor League Baseball announced it's delaying the start of its season.
April UFC event expected to be moved
UFC Fight Night scheduled for April 11 in Portland is expected to be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas due to precautionary reasons.
NFL cancels owners meeting
The league announced in a statement that its annual owners meetings scheduled for later in March in Florida have been canceled. It remains possible that the April 23-25 draft will be altered as well.
Boston Marathon postponed
The annual race won't be run in April as planned and could reportedly be rescheduled for the fall.
UFC Brasilia behind closed doors
Saturday's Fight Night 170 event in Brazil will reportedly take place without fans in attendance.
Combat sports halted in California
The California State Athletic Commission reportedly suspended all combat sports events through March.
Champions League fixtures postponed
Champions League Round of 16 second-leg fixtures featuring Manchester City versus Real Madrid and Juventus versus Lyon have been postponed.
NCAA conference tournaments canceled
All NCAA conferences canceled their championship basketball tournaments Thursday morning, albeit in delayed fashion; the Big East pulled the plug at halftime between St. John's and Creighton.
NFL teams discussing shutdowns
Numerous NFL teams are reportedly discussing shutting down training facilities, but the start of the new league year will not be pushed back at this time.
MLS suspended
Major League Soccer officially halted play for 30 days due to the coronavirus.
ATP suspends play
The ATP suspended all professional men's tennis tournaments for six weeks.
Raptors in self-quarantine
The Toronto Raptors announced that players, coaches, and traveling staff will self-isolate for 14 days. The club played the Jazz in Utah on Monday.
IOC releases statement
The Olympic flame was lit Thursday in Greece and the IOC followed up with a statement about Tokyo 2020:
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirms its full commitment to the success of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. We remain absolutely in line with our Japanese hosts in our commitment to delivering safe Olympic Games in July this year.
Hoiberg was cleared to coach
Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg tweeted that doctors cleared him to coach Wednesday night. He was forced to leave the game and taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with a cold.
FIBA, Euroleague suspended
The International Basketball Federation suspended play in all competitions, and the Euroleague suspended its season beginning Friday. Olympic qualifiers in June are up in the air.
No autographs at The Players
The Players Championship is underway in Florida, but the PGA Tour announced Thursday morning that golfers won't be signing autographs or interacting with fans as they normally would at a tournament.
La Liga suspended
Real Madrid players are in quarantine and La Liga announced a suspension of play for at least the next two matchdays.
----------March 11NHL mulling options
The NHL is evaluating its options after the NBA's shocking suspension announcement Wednesday. The league is consulting with medical experts and is scheduled to provide a further update Thursday.
Restricted access at college tourneys
Major college conferences announced that championship basketball tournaments scheduled for the rest of the week will take place with limited fan access.
NFL examining draft plans
The 2020 NFL Draft is currently scheduled for late April in Las Vegas. The NFL, NFLPA, and city and state officials are working together to determine whether one of the league's marquee events can go ahead as planned.
MLB, A's working on solution
The Oakland A's are working with MLB to come up with alternative plans for the club's season-opening seven-game homestand beginning March 26. Oakland and Alameda County have instituted a ban on large gatherings.
Spring college football games being axed
Ohio State and Michigan canceled their spring games scheduled for April 11 and 18, respectively. The Wolverines also announced that coaches won't be allowed to host prospects or go on recruiting trips until April 21.
Sharks to play behind closed doors
The NHL's San Jose Sharks announced they'll play in an empty SAP Center through the remainder of March due to a ban on large gatherings in Santa Clara County, California.
Ohio to ban mass gatherings
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday the state will order a ban on mass gatherings. That will affect numerous sporting events, including the NCAA Tournament (games are scheduled in Cleveland and Dayton), the NBA's Cavaliers, and the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.
Seattle teams forced to alter plans
The Mariners are working to relocate two home series due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Seattle, where a ban was ordered on crowds of more than 250 people. The club's spring-training home in Peoria, Arizona, is reportedly being considered as an option.
The XFL's Seattle Dragons will host the Los Angeles Wildcats on Sunday without fans in attendance at CenturyLink Field.
Teams altering scouting plans
The NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens grounded their North American scouts as the virus continues to proliferate.
NFL teams are also changing their pre-draft travel plans. Scouts from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles will reportedly sit out the pro-day circuit.
European hockey seasons shelved
Professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL) canceled the remainder of their seasons due to the outbreak in Europe.
Figure Skating worlds called off
The World Figure Skating Championships scheduled to take place in Montreal next week have been canceled.
Fed Cup finals postponed
The Fed Cup finals scheduled April 14-19 in Budapest, Hungary, have been postponed indefinitely. No makeup date has been announced.
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