SAN DIEGO — It has now been almost three months since one of the United States big four sports leagues has played a game. This will soon be changing, however.
We will break down some of the most popular leagues and when they plan to return to play.
NFL
The league will shorten training camp which is slated to start sometime in August. As of now, the league has not decided whether or not they will allow fans in the stands. However, The Miami Dolphins recently unveiled plans to limit crowds to as low as 15,000 people in a 65,000 seat facility.
The current NFL season is set to kickoff on September 10 with the Texans taking on the Chiefs. According to the new plan, the Super Bowl could be pushed to as late as the end of February.
NBA
The NBA Board of Governors recently ratified a plan that would bring games back on July 31 in Orlando. Twenty-two teams will participate in eight games before the playoffs start. The 22 teams include all 16 teams currently in playoff spots and the six teams that are within six games of the eight seed.
The plan that was approved by the Board of Governors has stated that no fans will be in attendance for any of the games.
MLB
Major League Baseball is a little more confusing because the players and owners have not been able to come to an agreement on a pay structure for a shortened season. The Players Association is proposing a 114-game season beginning on June 30 and running through October 31.
Owners have proposed an 82-game season suggesting the more games played means more money for players.
NHL
The NHL has officially abandoned the rest of the regular season, but they have expanded the playoffs from 16 teams to 24 teams. Games will be held without fans in two hub cities where players and staff will be housed during the season restart.
Hub cities will have secure arenas, hotels, and practice facilities with aggressive COVID testing and protocols at each site.
Canada’s 14-day mandatory quarantine period could force the NHL to pick two American cities.
MLS
Major League Soccer announced their return to play date as July 8. The league will host a 54-game tournament to be played at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. All of the leagues 26 teams will participate in the tournament, and fans will not be allowed to attend.
