Coronavirus live sports updates: Big3 reportedly planning virus-free hoop tournament next month

Sports events across the globe continue to feel the impact of the coronavirus. The disruption has extended to the local sports scene as well.

Here are the latest cancellations and postponements.

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Auto races called off: NASCAR and IndyCar have each called off their races this weekend. NASCAR was scheduled to run Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway without spectators but said Friday it is calling off this weekend and next week’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. IndyCar was scheduled to open its season Sunday on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, but suspended it’s season through the end of April. Four races are affected. — The Associated Press

2020 Masters postponed: Golf’s most prestigious tournament has been postponed. Said chairman Fred Ridley: “We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.” The event was due to take place in Augusta, Ga., the weekend of April 9 to April 12. 

Boston Marathon postponed to September: Boston mayor Marty Walsh, Governor Charlie Baker, the CEO of the Boston Marathon and the CEO of John Hancock made the announcement. The race will take place on Monday, Sept. 14. 

EPL cans games: The English Premier League will shut down until April 4 due to coronavirus. On Thursday night, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for the novel virus. At least eight clubs have begun to self quarantine.

Thursday, March 12

PGA cancels Players Championship: The PGA announced Thursday night it is canceling The Players Championship and shutting down its other tournaments for the next three weeks. Said the PGA in a statement: “We have pledged from the start to be responsible, thoughtful and transparent with our decision process. We did everything possible to create a safe environment for our players in order to continue the event throughout the weekend, and we were endeavoring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate. But at this point – and as the situation continues to rapidly change – the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause.” The Players Championship is the premier tournament run by the PGA Tour, offering a $15 million purse, the richest in golf history.

EPL to play on — with fans: Despite restrictions and cancellations around the world, the English Premier League is playing on this weekend. From BBC: In a statement, the English Football League said the guidance from the relevant authorities remained that there is no medical rationale to close or cancel sporting events at this time. “The EFL, however, will continue to work with government and relevant stakeholders to further develop contingency plans to ensure the League is best placed to act as and when any potential restrictions may come into force.”

NCAA Tournament is canceled: The men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments are canceled. The NCAA also canceled its winter and spring championships.

Relatedly, the Power-Five conferences suspended their sporting events.

• Big 12 and SEC sports suspended until March 30
• Big Ten sports suspended until end of academic year
• ACC and Pac-12 suspended until further notice

College basketball official tests positive: An official at the Conference Athletic Association tested positive for coronavirus. Northeastern played three games in the tournament.

MLB start date postponed: Opening Day will be pushed back at least two weeks, and spring training suspended, the MLB announced Thursday afternoon. Minor League Baseball is following suit.

Celtics release statement: The Celtics say it’s unlikely the Jazz players who were diagnosed with coronavirus were contagious when they played at TD Garden on Friday, but team personnel – including players – will be quarantined through the weekend.

NFL cancels annual meeting: The NFL won’t hold its annual meeting March 29 through April 1. Said the league in a statement: “This decision was made consistent with the league’s primary concern to protect the health of club and league employees and the public while enabling the league to continue with its essential business operations.” 

Murphys Boxing cancels St Patrick’s Day Clash: Murphys Boxing announced that the 5th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Clash which was scheduled to take place Saturday at the House of Blues in Boston has been canceled.

Colleges begin canceling sports: Duke, Arizona State, and Kansas are leading the charge among colleges suspending sporting events involving their student-athletes. Duke’s athletic director is the chair of the NCAA Tournament committee. Locally, Northeastern announced it was suspending spring sports.

NHL suspends games indefinitely: The NHL is pausing its season beginning with Thursday’s games. The AHL is following suit.

NFL has no plans to move league year: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the NFL said it has “no plans to move the start of the league year,” which is set to begin on March 18 – Wednesday. Beginning Monday, teams can begin to speak with free agents. That means Tom Brady could start hearing from teams who he may be interested in signing with.

Hockey East tournament canceled: The Hockey East tournament, which had limited fan attendance on Wednesday, will be canceled.

NASCAR won’t have fans: NASCAR’s next races will be limited to just competitors and necessary personnel. Fans won’t be in attendance.

College basketball tournaments canceled en masse: The Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Pac-12, Big East, and American Athletic Conference tournaments were all canceled around noon ET on Thursday, hours before some were set to tip. In Kansas City, players for Texas and Texas Tech were pulled off the court. Conference USA, Western Athletic Conference, MAC, Southland, Sun Belt, Big Sky, and the Atlantic-10 are also being canceled. At Madison Square Garden, St. John’s and Creighton tipped off at noon for their quarterfinal game in the Big East tournament. At halftime, it was announced that the tournament was canceled.

Pac-12 suspends all sports: Are we headed for a complete shutdown of Division I college athletics? A day after the Ivy League suspended spring sports, the Pac-12 followed suit, becoming the first Power-Five school to put restrictions on its spring athletes.

US Soccer on hiatus through April: Following the lead of MLS, US Soccer is calling off all of its camps and matches through the end of April. 

Donovan Mitchell tests positive: Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell became the second NBA player to test positive for coronavirus. Mitchell, who is Rudy Gobert’s teammate, was the only Jazz personnel to test positive among the 58 who were given the test.

No fans will be at Players Championship: After starting the tournament with fans on Thursday, the Players Championship will not have spectators for the final three days at the TPC Sawgrass. The only stipulation Thursday was they not ask for autographs. A person involved in the discussions over the new coronavirus says the policy is expected to be in place for the next several weeks, starting with The Players and extending to next week at the Valspar Championship in the Tampa Bay area. The only times a PGA Tour event has kept fans off the course were safety issues related to weather. — The Associated Press

Boston Marathon could be moved to the fall: In an effort to salvage some of the immense economic impact it brings, the Boston Marathon may be moved to the fall.

MLS suspends season: Major League Soccer is in hiatus. 

NWHL postpones final: The National Women’s Hockey League will have to wait to crown its champion. The Isobel Cup, scheduled to played Friday at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, has been postponed. The Boston Pride was set to try for a title over the Minnesota Whitecaps.

ATP suspends tennis tour: The ATP men’s tennis tour suspended competition for six weeks.

Patriot League cancels spring sports: Another college conference joined the Ivy League in canceling all spring sports: The Patriot League announced on Thursday no practices or competitions would be held.

ACC Tournament going on as scheduled: The ACC will not cancel or postpone its conference tournament, but it will close the games to fans, the league said Wednesday. Games are scheduled to tip at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Spanish team quarantined, league suspends play: Real Madrid’s soccer and basketball teams were put in quarantine Thursday after a basketball player for the club tested positive for the coronavirus. The Spanish club said that its soccer team was affected because it shares training facilities with the basketball team.

The decision by the club came moments before the Spanish league said the next two rounds of the top two soccer divisions will be suspended because of outbreak. The league said in a statement that it had taken the decision after becoming aware of “the quarantine established in Real Madrid and the possible cases in players from other clubs,” without mentioning those suspected cases.

No player from a Spanish soccer team has been reported to have the virus.

Wednesday, March 11

G-League suspended: Following in the steps of the NBA, the G-League announced that its season was suspended, effective after Wednesday night’s games.

NHL set to make an announcement Thursday: In the wake of the news the NBA has indefinitely suspended its season, the NHL issued the following statement late Wednesday evening: “The National Hockey League is aware of the NBA’s decision tonight to indefinitely suspend its season due to a player testing positive for the coronavirus. The NHL is continuing to consult with medical experts and is evaluating the options. We expect to have a further update tomorrow.”

Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg tests negative after sideline scare: Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg tested negative for coronavirus — he has the flu, the team announced — after being caught on camera looking visibly sick during the Cornhuskers’ Big Ten Tournament loss on Wednesday night.

Fred Hoiberg is currently being transported to a local hospital after showing signs of illness while coaching tonight. pic.twitter.com/qpaTpIcJuz

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 12, 2020

ACC tournament will be held without fans: The ACC issued the following statement Wednesday evening: “In light of the rapidly changing landscape regarding COVID-19, the latest developments nationally from health authorities and today’s announcement by the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel, the ACC will alter the remainder of the ACC Tournament. After consultation with the league’s presidents and athletic directors, it was determined that beginning Thursday, March 12, all games will be played with only essential tournament personnel, limited school administrators and student-athlete guests, broadcast television and credentialed media members present.”

Women’s Basketball Coaches Association has canceled its annual convention: The following statement was issued: “Due to the health and safety of our members, student-athletes, volunteers, staff and partners and with the data and information provided about COVID-19, the decision was made to cancel the 2020 WBCA Convention.” 

Italian soccer player may be first pro athlete with diagnosis: Juventus’ Daniele Rugani has been diagnosed with Covid-19, likely becoming the first pro athlete to receive a positive test for the virus. The Serie A team had its future games put on hiatus due to a country-wide shutdown of sports until early April to try to stem the outbreak.

No watching Bruins-Sharks in person: The San Jose Sharks have officially announced that three of their upcoming home games will be closed to fans. The Bruins are scheduled to face the Sharks at the SAP Center on March 21. 

Frozen Four still on, but with no one in stands: Following the precedent they set with the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the NCAA will host the 2020 Frozen Four in Detroit but ban spectators. The games will be played April 9 and 11. The Hockey East playoffs, which are scheduled for this week, will also go on without spectators in Amherst (Northeastern at UMass) and Lowell (BU at UMass Lowell). Spectators haven’t been banned from UConn at Maine or Providence at BC.

Bruins-Sabres will still have an audience: As scores of leagues pull the plug on spectators, the group that owns the Buffalo Sabres doubled down on the decision to allow fans to attend Friday’s Bruins-Sabres game.

NCAA won’t allow fans at basketball tournament: In an unprecedented move, the NCAA’s massive March Madness tournaments will go on – but without any fans in attendance. Instead, only essential personnel and family will be allowed to watch the games in person. The First Four is set to tip off on March 17. NCAA president Mark Emmert has also implied that the national championship, which is set to be held April 6, could be moved out of the spacious Mercedez-Benz Stadium into a more appropriately sized venue.

The ACC Tournament, which began Wednesday, will still allow fans into its events despite the games tipping after the NCAA’s announcement. The Big 12 announced they wouldn’t be allowing fans after Wednesday, as did the Big Ten.

Bruins postpone 50th anniversary celebration: The Bruins are pushing a celebration for the 1970 Stanley Cup team into the 2020-21 season, citing greater risks of coronavirus in older adults. The ceremony had been planned for March 24, a game against the Red Wings.

Harvard hockey is done for season: With the ECAC quarterfinals series against RPI canceled, the Harvard men’s hockey season is done.

Statement from Ted Donato ’91, The Robert D. Ziff ’88 Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Ice Hockey #GoCrimson pic.twitter.com/jaFDEN5eay

— Harvard Men’s Hockey (@HarvardMHockey) March 11, 2020

NCAA Tournament games in Ohio won’t have spectators: The governor of Ohio Mike DeWine said the state will issue an order that NCAA Tournament games in Ohio, including the First Four round in Dayton, will be played without fans in attendance. Said DeWine: “This seems difficult for people. But we know what’s coming. We know what’s around the corner. … Everything looks the same, but it’s really not.”

In other college news, the Ivy League and NESCAC are canceling all spring sports, including practices and competitions.

San Francisco banning large events, which prompts Warriors to close arena to fans: The Golden State Warriors will be playing their home games in an empty arena for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus outbreak, ESPN is reporting. The city of San Francisco, where the Warriors’ Chase Center is located, announced Wednesday that it was banning gatherings of more than 1,000 people to try to stem the spread of the virus. The ban will be in place for at least two weeks.

Mariners must move games out of Seattle: It’s possible the Red Sox won’t be playing the Mariners in Seattle for their early-season series scheduled for April 9-12 after Washington governor Jay Inslee banned gatherings of more than 250 people in King County. The Mariners released a statement, saying they were working with the commissioner’s office on alternative plans. Their season-opening series against the Rangers in Seattle will be moved as well.

World figure skating championships canceled: The world figure skating championships, which were scheduled to be held in Montreal beginning March 18, will be canceled.

NBA mulling moving games: ESPN reports that the NBA’s board of governors and the commissioner’s office are preparing for an important meeting Wednesday that will help determine the league’s course of action when it comes to protecting its fans and players from coronavirus. Part of the proposal suggests teams based in cities with outbreaks could see their home games moved to an opponent’s home arena, or perhaps even a neutral site.

ESPN also reports that a few options are possible, including banning fans or suspending games.

“Sources say decisions on those options remain complicated by the fact that there has been a limited amount of public testing for the coronavirus in the United States,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote. “There is no full understanding of how widespread and debilitating the virus could become in the country.”

MLB prefers switching sites over banning fans: If Major League Baseball can’t play in front of fans at a team’s home ballpark because of the virus outbreak, the sport’s first preference likely would be to switch games to the visiting team’s stadium if possible. — The Associated Press

San Jose Sharks could play in empty arena: The only hockey team affected by a mandatory gathering ban (so far) is the San Jose Sharks, who the Bruins are scheduled to face in Santa Clara County on March 21.

European hockey canceled: Norway became the fourth country, after Austria, Germany, and Poland, to cancel its domestic hockey season according to the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation.

CBI tournament canceled: One of the four men’s basketball postseason tournaments, the College Basketball Invitational, has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Tuesday, March 10

NCAA will make call on tournament in coming days: The NCAA is assessing the risk of coronavirus on the upcoming NCAA Tournament, which is set to send thousands of athletes and fans to more than a dozen locations across the country.

“We are consulting with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel, who are leading experts in epidemiology and public health, and will make decisions in the coming days,” the organization said in a statement.

Manchester United match at LASK to be played behind closed doors: The first leg of Manchester United’s Europa League last-16 tie at LASK on Thursday will be played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus, according to a statement. LASK made the decision following advice from the Austrian government. Manchester United have sold their allocation of just under 900 tickets, but the game is one of several European fixtures that will have no spectators.

“We will automatically issue refunds on behalf of LASK to our fans who have purchased tickets,” Manchester United said in a statement.

Connecticut high school sports canceled: The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference decided to cancel the remainder of its winter championship tournaments. Here is the statement from the CIAC: “Due to continuing concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) CIAC has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of its winter championship tournaments. The decision was made in light of discussions with numerous agencies and considering the circumstances of our member schools, our championship venues, and weighing the health and safety of our student-athletes, parents, and fans given the uncertainty that surrounds the spread of this virus.”

Connecticut Division 2 and Division 3 boys hockey tournaments opened up with their first-round games last week. Division 1 was scheduled to start Tuesday night. State finals were scheduled for March 19, 23 and 24 at Yale.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced that he will sign declarations enacting civil preparedness and public health emergencies in Connecticut in response to the outbreak.

The MIAA released a statement saying there are no changes to postseason schedules yet. Connecticut schools are one week behind Massachusetts schools; Mass. schools finish up postseason tournaments this Sunday.

Ivy League tournament canceled: The Ivy League canceled its basketball tournaments scheduled to be held at Harvard’s Lavietes Pavilion this weekend, the league announced Tuesday. The two regular-season champions — the Princeton women and the Yale men — receive the conference’s automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. Those who bought tickets to the games scheduled for Harvard will receive a full refund.

▪ The Atlantic Coast Conference announced it will hold its men’s basketball tournament as scheduled this week at the Greensboro Coliseum.

▪ The Big East Conference announced Monday evening that it is moving forward with its plans to conduct the men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden March 11-14.

▪ Hockey East continues to monitor the situation, but as of Tuesday plans to go ahead with the men’s quarterfinals March 13-15 at the campus sites, with the semifinals and final played March 20-21 at TD Garden.

Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos expressing concern about playing in Seattle: With just over two weeks until baseball’s opening day, Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos says he’s “a little bit” concerned about traveling to Seattle with Washington state having the worst coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday the state is preparing for potentially tens of thousands of cases, based on estimates of the spread of the disease. The Mariners are scheduled to open their season by hosting the Rangers on March 26. Major League Baseball said Monday that all opening weekend series were still set to run as planned.

The Boston Marathon is on, for now: Mayor Marty Walsh said that as of Tuesday the Boston Marathon scheduled for April 20 is still on. Conversations with other stakeholders involved in the marathon — which expects about 31,000 runners as well as million spectators and pumps more than $200 million into the city’s economy — are ongoing, Walsh said at an impromptu news conference outside City Hall.

Bruins-Sharks in California in flux: Santa Clara County in California has a gathering ban in place to stem the outbreak of coronavirus. The Bruins are scheduled to play the Sharks in San Jose on March 21. 

Jerry Remy staying behind: NESN broadcaster Jerry Remy wasn’t scheduled to be with the Red Sox during their season-opening swing through Toronto. Now, he’s skipping the second half of the first trip. The decision comes as a precaution. Said Remy:  “With all my underlying conditions, they don’t want me getting sick somewhere else other than at Mass General – they don’t want me quarantined somewhere and I can’t get back to Mass General, where they would really want me.”

European soccer played in empty stadiums: All upcoming professional soccer games in Spain, France and Portugal, as well as some in Germany and a European Championship qualifying match in Slovakia, will be played in empty stadiums.

The Spanish league said Tuesday that matches in the first and second divisions will be played without fans for at least two weeks. The announcement came after the government outlined a series of preventative measures being implemented to help contain the spread of the virus, including ordering all sporting events with a significant number of fans — professional and non-professional — to be played in empty venues.

Olympic qualifying in flux: Qualifying events for the Tokyo Olympics are being canceled or postponed almost daily, and time is running out for athletes to prove they meet the standard. Rowing was the latest sport to find itself in flux on Tuesday when it canceled two World Cups, the European Olympic and Paralympic qualifying regatta, and the final Paralympic qualifier. All were to be held in Italy from April 10 to May 10. World Rowing said it wants to relocate the qualifiers and was talking with other countries. It hoped to offer good news next week.

Media access to be limited: In an unprecedented move, MLB, MLS, NFL and the NHL issued a statement Monday night announcing new locker room policies limiting locker room. “After consultation with infectious disease and public health experts, and given the issues that can be associated with close contact in pre- and post-game settings, all team locker rooms and clubhouses will be open only to players and essential employees of teams and team facilities until further notice,” the statement said. “Media access will be maintained in designated locations outside of the locker room and clubhouse setting. We will continue to closely monitor this situation and take any further steps necessary to maintain a safe and welcoming environment.”