President Trump hopes sports return ‘sooner than later’ amid coronavirus pandemic
President Donald Trump is hopeful sports return ‘”sooner rather than later” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Every major sports league, including the NBA, MLB and NHL, has suspended play. The NFL has altered its offseason. Nearly every major domestic sporting event over the next two months has been canceled. At the college level, the NCAA canceled March Madness and its spring championships, and starting football on time in the fall remains in jeopardy.
“I want fans back in the arenas,” Trump said. “Whenever we’re ready. As soon as we can. … I can’t tell you a date, but I think it’s going to be sooner rather than later.”
Trump said fans would be able to gather again in mass gatherings and the social-distancing policies would be lifted at some point in the future when it is safe and the virus is better contained.
Trump held a conference call with 12 major league sports commissioners on Saturday, including NBA commissioner Adam Silver, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.
The NBA was the first sports league to suspend play when it did so on March 11, and others followed suit. Among the major sporting events that have postponed include the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, The Masters, the Kentucky Derby and the Indianapolis 500.
Questions now surround the start of football season with stay-at-home orders across more than 90 percent of the country. Regarding college football, players will need several weeks for a strength-and-conditioning program, as well as another several weeks for a training camp.
The hope remains that football seasons can avoid a delay.
“They want to get back. They’ve got to get back ... We want to get back soon, very soon,” Trump said. “We have to open our country again.”
Trump also raised the possibility of bringing back tax incentives for companies to offset entertainment expenses as a way to spur the sports entertainment industry.
Big 12 update
The University of Oklahoma has said that all in-person events are suspended through at least July 31.
Some have taken that to mean the earliest student athletes could return to campus for possible workouts would be Aug. 1. If that is the case, OU certainly wouldn’t have enough time to prep before its season opener on Sept. 5.
However, a school spokesman clarified on Saturday that the university’s July 31 date didn’t necessarily prevent possible summer workouts for athletes.
“There may be some allowance for summer workouts, but those dates and circumstances are unknown at this time,” OU spokesman Mike Houck said in an email to the Star-Telegram.
The Big 12 also reiterated that it hasn’t changed the May 31 date for practices being suspended throughout the conference. At that time, the league will reassess where things stand.
“Containment of the virus is fluid, and information continues to be shared among our university presidents and athletic directors,” a Big 12 spokesperson said. “At this juncture, it does not change the conference’s May 31 deadline, and it is too early to speculate the impact, if any, this could have on a traditional start to the football season.”
This story was originally published April 4, 2020 at 5:14 PM.
