The worldwide spread of coronavirus has brought America to a complete standstill, including a complete stoppage in the sports world. COVID-19, the scientific name for coronavirus, has now affected more than 1 million people around the globe, with almost a quarter of them inside the United States.
Sports have come to a halt in the time being, with some events completely canceled altogether. Here is a comprehensive list of major professional and college sporting events that have either been canceled or suspended. For those that have been postponed, those dates are listed.
Updated April 3, 2020
2020 Summer Olympics
The 2020 Tokyo Games were set to begin July 24 this year, but the Opening Ceremony and Games have been postponed until July 23, 2021.
Auto Racing
NASCAR
The last three races in March, all three races in April and the first event in May have been postponed until further notice.
The Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway is still scheduled for May 9, 2020. All other races beyond that on the 2020 schedule are still on NASCAR's race schedule.
Indy Car
The Indianapolis 500 scheduled for May 24 has been postponed until August 23.
Baseball
Major League Baseball canceled the final two weeks of spring training nd suspended the season until further notice. MLB's Opening Day was scheduled for March 26, and baseball will not resume at least until mid- to late-May, perhaps even later.
Basketball
The NBA abruptly suspended its season on March 11 after a player from the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19. The season and playoffs have been placed on hold until further notice. No date has been set to resume play.
The WNBA will hold its annual draft "virtually" on April 17, but the opening of its training camps (April 26) and season openers (May 15) have been postponed until further notice.
College Athletics
The NCAA swiftly canceled its men's and women's basketball tournaments in their entirety on March 12—one week before they were set to begin. Furthermore, the NCAA canceled all spring sports and their championships, including baseball, softball and lacrosse.
Football
The NFL canceled its owners meetings in March, then announced the April 23-23 NFL Draft would not be held in Las Vegas. Instead, the Draft will be held virtually. NFL schedule makers will go ahead and plan the season as if football will be played this fall, with no interruptions. Teams cannot hold offseason training activities until the league, and their respective cities and states, give them approval. Free agency has only been affected in a player's ability to travel to other cities.
Golf
- The Masters (April 9-12) has been postponed, but no date has been set
- The PGA Championship has been postponed until a pending later date
- The British Open is still scheduled for July 16-19, but could be postponed or canceled
- The Ryder Cup is still scheduled for September 25-27
- Sr. PGA Championship has been canceled
Hockey
The NHL abruptly suspended its season on March 12, and its season and playoffs have been placed on hold until further notice. No date has been set to resume play.
Horse Racing
- Kentucky Derby postponed from May 2, now will run September 5
- Preakness Stakes postponed from May 16 to a date to be determined
- Belmont Stakes is still scheduled for June 6
- The Breeders Cup is still scheduled for November 6-7
Running
- The Boston Marathon has been rescheduled from April 20 to September 14
- The New York City Marathon is scheduled for November 1, 2020
Tennis
- Wimbledon has been canceled
- French Open has been rescheduled to September 20 - October 4
- United States Open remains scheduled for August 24 - September 13
Coronavirus History
The coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China during late 2019, and by April 3, more than 1.1 million people worldwide have tested positive for the virus, and there have been more than 59,000 deaths around the globe.
In the United States, there have been more than 275,000 cases—the most by any country. The U.S. has more than 7,300 deaths so far.
President Donald Trump said Sunday (March 29, 2020) he expects the number of cases and deaths in America to peak by April 12, and that the social distancing guidelines have been extended to April 30. Trump also said he expects a "full recovery" by June 1.
On March 11, the NBA announced it would suspend its season indefinitely after a player from the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19, better known as coronavirus. The next day, MLB and the NHL announced the indefinite suspensions of their respective seasons. Later that day, the NCAA said it was canceling the men's and women's basketball tournaments altogether, and that all spring championships were canceled—including baseball, softball and lacrosse.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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