🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
The coronavirus outbreak could paralyze the major U.S. leagues for far longer than the 30-day suspensions that were implemented last week.
On Sunday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended events attracting over 50 people to be canceled or postponed for at least eight weeks as the U.S. battles with an increasing number of COVID-19 cases.
"Large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States via travelers who attend these events and introduce the virus to new communities," the CDC said in its new guidelines.
The new guidelines were released after a number of states had already banned gatherings of anywhere between 25 to 250 people. The major U.S. leagues have been suspended for a month in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, but the eight-week period stretches until May 11.
Here's the potential impact an eight-week suspension would have on U.S. sports.
NBA
The CDC recommendation extends far behind the 30-day suspension the NBA put in place Wednesday night, when commissioner Adam Silver took the unprecedented decision of halting the season shortly, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive to coronavirus.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, teams have been told to search out arena dates well into August, as well as explore the possibility of playing at smaller venues and practice facilities.
The NBA regular season was expected to end on April 15, with the playoffs due to get underway three days later and Game 1 of the NBA Finals scheduled for June 4. Resuming the season as late as June would present a logistical nightmare for the league
MLB
The eight-week period recommended by the CDC on Sunday expires on May 11, almost a month-and-a-half on from the scheduled start of the season, which was meant to get underway with Opening Day on March 26.
As USA Today reported on Sunday, there is a strong possibility the MLB season will not begin before Memorial Day weekend, which means teams would face an almost insurmountable logistical challenge to complete their 162-game schedules.
NFL
Helped by the fact games aren't planned until September, the NFL is the only major league in the world that has adopted a "business as usual" approach, despite the coronavirus outbreak. The legal tampering period for free agents began as scheduled on March 16, with the league year set to start as planned two days later.
On Monday, however, the NFL confirmed public events surrounding the upcoming draft in Las Vegas next month have been canceled, meaning the draft will probably go ahead behind closed doors.
NHL
As is the case for the NBA, the NHL would have to consider contingency plans should the holdout stretch until mid-May. When the league was suspended on Thursday, there were over three weeks and 189 regular season games left.
"That's a question that I can't answer right now," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told CNBC when asked whether the postseason could stretch into the traditional offseason period.
"We're looking at all contingencies. I hope that at some point we get back to a sense of normalcy. And that's not just my hope for the NHL."
Golf
On Friday, The Masters was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak and following the CDC recommendation the PGA Championship could follow suit. The tournament is scheduled to be held at TPC Harding in San Francisco, California, between May 14 to May 17, just three days after the end of the eight-week period during which the CDC urged not to hold any large event.
Having to shift both tournaments forward could be a logistical nightmare, given the PGA's already packed calendar. The U.S. Open to be staged at Winged Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, between June 18 and June 21.
The Open Championship is the last of the four majors on the calendar and is scheduled for July 16 through to July 19 at the Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England.
Since its inception in 1936, the Masters has only been called off during 1943 and 1945 because of World War II and since 1946 it has never been held outside the first two weeks of April.
Something will have to give this year.
IndyCar
The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 24, just over two weeks on from the end of the eight-week period during which the CDC has suggested events should not be held. In theory at least, that may be enough time for the showpiece event of the IndyCar season to go ahead.
However, given the ever-evolving situation surrounding the coronavirus outbreak, predicting what the sporting calendar will look in two months is a fool's errand.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more