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After weeks of empty fields and stadiums around the country, professional sports in the United States appear poised to make a comeback, though it's likely fans will have to watch from home rather than the stands.
Governors in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York and California have all said they want professional sports to return, but all four state leaders have encouraged various leagues to do so without fans.
"I have also been encouraging major sports teams to plan reopenings without fans. But the games could be televised. New York state will help those major sports franchises to do just that. Hockey, basketball, baseball, football. Whoever can reopen, we're a ready, willing and able partner," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference Monday.
Despite the proclamations and issuance of executive orders, it won't be government officials who bring sports back. That decision lies with various league commissioners, in conjunction with team owners and managers.
On Sunday, NASCAR officially resumed racing with a return to Darlington Raceway, where Kevin Harvick won his 50th race, but there were no fans to witness the milestone up close.
"I didn't think it would be that much different if we won the race, but it's dead silent here. We miss the fans," Harvick told ESPN.
The PGA Tour is scheduled to resume June 11 when golfers will compete at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. As with NASCAR races, no fans will be allowed at PGA Tour events, while golfers and caddies will be required to undergo temperature checks, medical questionnaires and regular tests for COVID-19 before they travel to host sites and regularly once they arrive to compete.
The Kentucky Derby, which was planned for May 2, will take place on September 5, instead, according to race officials.
"Our team is united in our commitment to holding the very best Kentucky Derby ever and certainly the most unique in any of our lifetimes. While we are always respectful of the time-honored traditions of the Kentucky Derby, our Company's true legacy is one of resilience, the embracing of change and unshakeable resolve," Churchill Downs Incorporated CEO, Bill Carstanjen said in a statement.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told Sports Illustrated in a May 14 interview that pro basketball could resume in two to four weeks, and that a majority of the players supported a return if it is deemed safe for players.
Meanwhile, the Major League Baseball season, which was expected to begin in March, is expected to begin a shorted 82-game season in July, without fans. As part of the deal, players and owners agreed in March to a pro-rated plan to pay players for an 82-game season.
Last week, MLB owners approved a revenue-sharing plan that would pay players' salaries, based on a 50-50 split between players and owners of MLB's revenue from the regular season and postseason, which enraged some players.
"Y'all gotta understand, man, for me to go -- for me to take a pay cut is not happening, because the risk is through the roof," Tampa Bay Devil Rays Pitcher Brad Snell said while speaking to fans on his Twitch channel on May 14.
Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper agreed with Snell's concerns as it relates to COVID-19 and the potential impact on players.
"Hey, he's speaking the truth, bro. I ain't mad at him. Somebody's gotta say it. At least he manned up and said it. Good for him," Harper said.
While the NFL season is months away, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said there will still be adjustments made during the offseason to prepare for the 2020 regular season. That changes could include playing in empty stadiums, or stadiums that are partially closed.
"I think, you know, right now our job is to be prepared for the season. That means keeping our football schedule as best we can — obviously with modifications to make sure we're doing it safely," he told CBS Sports.
Earlier this month, Goodell sent a memorandum to the 32 NFL franchises that outlined protocols to reopen practice facilities, such as wearing a cloth face covering or medical-style mask, and daily screening of employees and visitors. Goodell said in a statement that franchises that were allowed to reopen under local guidelines, would be able to as of May 19.
While most NFL teams were able to reopen, practice facilities for some teams, including the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, LA's Rams and Chargers remain closed.
"After we implement this first phase, and as more states and localities enact policies that allow more club facilities to re-open, I expect that additional staff, likely including coaching staff, will be allowed to return to club facilities in a relatively short time," Goodell said in his statement to all teams.
Meanwhile, Carolina Panthers Owner David Tepper told CNBC that fans in some cities could be there to cheer on their favorite teams when the 2020 season begins.
"There should be some amount of fans in the stadiums, depending on what locale and where you are and what the local rules are. There could possibly be," he said. "You won't be having full stadiums, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fans in the stadium either."
While pro sports are hammering out plans for a reboot, college sports is still up in the air and may depend on whether campuses reopen in the fall, and if the commissioners of the respective athletic conferences can formulate a plan.
"There will be great disparity in this. The NCAA will do what it can to regulate it, but you will have certain instances where schools aren't open and others are, or states haven't reopened and some have," Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a Tampa Bay Times report.
