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When Will the MLB, NBA, NHL, PGA Tour Return? See Estimated Dates for All Major Leagues

Sascha Paruk

by Sascha Paruk in News

Updated Jul 10, 2020 · 9:23 AM PDT

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will be delaying the start of the 2020 season for at least another eight weeks, in accordance with governmental recommendations. Photo by Arturo Pardavila (wikimedia commons).
  • See the current status of all major sports leagues during the coronavirus pandemic
  • When will the NBA, MLB, NHL and other major pro sports return to action?
  • The table below displays the latest information

As coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, shutting down almost every major sport on the planet, the main question on every sports fan’s mind right now is when will we see the next meaningful game, match, or race?

The table below displays the latest information for all major North American and European leagues, including the date of the last activity, their current status, and the estimated return date. Read this article to see a full list of which sports are still taking place during the outbreak.

View updates by sport: College FB | MLB | MLS | NASCAR | NBA | NFL | NHL | Olympics | PGA Tour| Soccer | Tennis | UFC

Last update: July 10, 12:23 pm ET.

Estimated Return Dates for All Major Leagues

League Date of Last Game/Match/Race Before Pause Current Status Estimated Return
ATP/WTA Tours (Tennis) Mar. 8 Scheduled to return Aug. 14
Bundesliga (German Soccer) Mar. 11 Ongoing (w/o fans) N/A
Champions League (European Soccer) Mar. 11 Scheduled to return  Aug. 7
College Football Mar. 14 N/A  Aug. 29
Cycling (UCI World Tour) Jan. 13 Scheduled to return Aug. 1
EPL (English Soccer) Mar. 9 Ongoing (w/o fans) N/A
Formula 1 Dec. 1, 2019 Ongoing (w/o fans)  N/A
IndyCar 2019 Ongoing (w/o fans) N/A
Kentucky Derby May 4, 2019 Postponed  Sep. 5
La Liga (Spanish Soccer) Mar. 10 Ongoing (w/o fans) N/A
Ligue 1 (French Soccer) Mar. 8 Canceled Canceled remainder of 2019-20 season
MLB Mar. 12 Suspended  July 23
MLS Mar. 8 Ongoing (w/o fans) N/A
NASCAR Mar. 8 Ongoing (w/o fans) N/A
NBA Mar. 11 Suspended July 30
NFL Feb. 3 N/A  Sep. 10
NHL Mar. 11 Suspended  Aug. 1
National Rugby League (Australia) Mar. 23rd Ongoing (w/o fans) N/A
PGA Tour Mar. 12 Ongoing N/A
Serie A (Italian Soccer) Mar. 12 Ongoing (w/o fans) N/A
UFC Mar. 15 Ongoing (w/o fans) N/A
XFL Mar. 8 Canceled Likely never

All dates in the table are in 2020 unless otherwise indicated.

The sections below provide ongoing updates on the major leagues in North America.

 

College Football

  • June 6: Notre Dame vs Navy has indeed been relocated from Dublin, Ireland, to Annapolis, Maryland, on Sep. 5th.
  • April 15: Reports indicate that the season-opening game between Notre Dame and Navy in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29 will either be canceled or moved to a new location.

Cycling

  • June 12: The 2020 season will return with the Strade Bianche on August 1.
  • April 15: TDF organizers are now planning to start the race on August 29.

  • April 14: The 2020 Tour de France (originally scheduled to start on June 27) has been postponed indefinitely.

 

MLB

  • June 28:  Reports indicate the season will open on July 23, with Opening Day highlighted by the New York Yankees visiting the Washington Nationals. \

  • June 22: After more failed negotiations, the league is planning to unilaterally set a 60-game schedule starting roughly July 24.

  • June 19: The Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays both closed their spring-training facilities in Clearwater, FL, after eight people (five players, three staff) tested positive for coronavirus.
  • June 19: The “framework” that owners and players had reportedly agreed to was not, in fact, agreed to according to the MLBPA. The players countered the league’s 60-game proposal with a 70-game proposal, which was swiftly rejected.
  • June 17: Salvation! The owners and players are nearing an agreement on a 60-game season starting in mid-July with expanded playoffs and full prorated salaries, per Ken Rosenthal.

  • June 15: Commission Manfred did a complete 180 from his statement on June 10, now saying he’s not confident there will be baseball in 2020.

  • June 10: Despite there being no return-to-play agreement on the horizon, Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters at the MLB draft that there is a “100%” chance of the 2020 season taking place in some capacity.

  • June 9: Unsurprisingly, reports suggest the MLBPA is going to reject the owners’ 76-game, 75%-proration proposal by tomorrow’s deadline.
  • June 8: The owners’ latest proposal is for a 76-game season with 75% prorated salaries. MLBPA is still demanding full prorated salaries.

  • June 3: The owners rejected the MLBPA’s 114-game counter proposal and did not offer their own counter in return.
  • June 1: MLBPA countered the owners’ return-to-play proposal. The owners rejected it immediately. If no deal is reached this week, the season is in jeopardy.
  • May 27: The league’s financial proposal to the MLBPA included massive pay cuts and was lambasted by the union, putting the season in further jeopardy.
  • May 11: The three-division re-alignment appears to be shelved for now. The league is focusing on implementing an 80-game regular season. To reduce travel, all games would be played against divisional opponents and teams from the corresponding division in the other league. There would be no DH in the NL.
  • May 7: The league is finalizing a proposal to restart the season in early July, with “spring training” resuming in mid-June.
  • Apr. 30: When/if the season begins, the league may realign the entire league into three 10-team divisions.

  • Apr. 7: The best news sports fans have heard in weeks is that the MLB could return as early as mid-May. All games would be in Arizona without fans.

  • Apr. 4: The league is discussing playing the initial regular-season games in Spring Training facilities without fans, which could see the league return earlier than it otherwise would.
  • March 19: Pragmatists see late July or even early August as the likely date for Opening Day. The latest odds on an MLB game taking place by Aug. 1, 2020, were -140 for “Yes” and +100 for “No”.
  • March 16: Major League Baseball originally stated that it would be postponing Opening Day (originally scheduled for Mar 26) for “at least two weeks”, but the delay will now extend for at least eight weeks, per the statement below.

 

MLS

  • July 7: Reigning MLS MVP Carlos Vela (LAFC) has opted out of the MLS Is Back tournament one day before it starts.
  • July 6: Dallas FC has pulled out of MLS Is Back tournament, scheduled to start in two days in Orlando, FL, due to 10 players and one staff member testing positive.
  • June 10: The league will return on July 8 with a 54-team tournament in Orlando, FL. The tournament will run until Aug. 11. The 26 teams will be split into six groups (three East, three West) for the round-robin stage.

  • June 1: The league and players are miles apart on an agreement, which could result in a lockout. The 2020-21 MLS season will not be starting anytime soon.
  • April 17: The season will not be resuming before June 8, at the earliest.

  • March 19: MLS has announced the season will not resume before May 10.

  • March 16: the last official statement from Major League Soccer was that it would not return for at least 30 days, but that will likely be extended to eight weeks in accordance with CDC recommendations.
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NASCAR

  • May 25: NASCAR has held three events (May 17th, 20th, & 24th) without fans and will continue to do so until further notice.
  • April 28: NASCAR is now aiming to return as early as May 17 with a significantly revised (and highly condensed) schedule.

  • April 19: Martinsville (scheduled for May 8-9) has been postponed. May 24 (Coke 600 in Charlotte, NC) is the earliest plausible return date.
  • March 19: NASCAR is aiming to make May 9 its triumphant return, hoping to run the races at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia as scheduled.

 

NBA

  • June 28: The league released the full regular-season schedule for the remaining games in Orlando. The restart will commence one day earlier than previously announced (June 30th).

  • June 3: The board of governors agreed on a return-to-play proposal that would include 22 teams, eight regular-season games, and an expanded playoff format. All games will take place in Orlando, FL.
  • May 1: The draft lottery and scouting combine (both scheduled for May) have been postponed indefinitely.
  • April 27: As of May 8, the NBA will permit the re-opening of practice facilities in cities that do not have stay-at-home orders in place. But a resumption of league play is still a ways off; no more than four players can gather at a time.

  • Apr. 3: The league is discussing potentially playing the entire postseason in Las Vegas with shortened rounds.

  • March 19: While mid-June remains a potential return date, oddsmakers don’t think the Association will be back before July, setting the odds at +115 that the first game takes place before July 1.
  • March 16: the NBA’s original month-long hiatus has been extended until at least June.


NFL

  • June 17: Several members of the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans have tested positive for COVID-19. Reports suggest they did not contract the virus at team facilities.

  • Apr. 5: Trump told the major-sport commissioners that the NFL should begin on time.


NHL

  • July 3: The NHL and NHLPA are nearing an agreement on RTP details. The new target date for the restart is Aug. 1.

  • June 19: Several members of the TB Lightning tested positive for coronavirus. Team facilities have been closed.

  • June 12: Las Vegas is the first of four “hub cities” chosen by the league to host the 2020 NHL playoffs.
  • June 8: Phase 2 of the league’s return-to-play plan began today. Teams can now open practice facilities to players.
  • June 4: The Eastern and Western Conference playoffs will each take place in one “hub city”. The following cities are on the shortlist to be hubs: (1) Chicago, IL, (2) Columbus, OH, (3) Dallas, TX, (4) Edmonton, AB, (5) Las Vegas, NV, (6) Los Angeles, CA, (7) Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, (8) Pittsburgh, PA, (9) Toronto, ON, and (10) Vancouver, BC.
  • May 25: The NHL and NHLPA have agree to a proposal that would include a 24-team, conference-based playoff format; the top four teams in each conference will receive a bye to the Round of 16.
  • May 19: Canada extended its restriction on non-essential travel to the US until at least Jun. 22. Restarting before then was already a longshot. Now it’s almost impossible.
  • April 30: Reports indicate that the league has informed players team activities/camps could start as early as mid-May.

  • April 24: According to one ex-NHLer, team camps are going to start on June 1.

  • April 22: One report suggests the NHL is planning to resume in July at select regional sites.

  • March 19: Like the NBA, above, the odds of the NHL returning before July 1 are not great. Currently the line is +110 that an NHL game takes place by July 1, 2020.
  • March 16: the NHL has not issued any recent statements on how long its hiatus will last. Unlike the NBA, no NHL players have tested positive yet. There is hope it could return earlier than the NBA even though the leagues share many arenas. But eight weeks is likely the minimum, again in accordance with CDC guidelines.

 

Olympics

  • March 24: The IOC and Japanese government agreed to postpone the Olympics, saying they will take place no later than 2021.

 

PGA Tour

  • June 19: A player tested positive for coronavirus after round one of the RBC Heritage in South Carolina. Nick Watney was the only player to withdraw after the first round.
  • May 28: The Colonial (June 11th) has been confirmed as the PGA’s first event of the 2020 season, which will be followed by 25 straight weeks of tournaments.
  • April 15: Reports indicate the PGA Tour is aiming to resume at Colonial (a.k.a. the Fort Worth Invitational, a.k.a. the Charles Schwab Challenge) on June 11th.

  • April 8: the Masters is rescheduled for Nov. 12-15 at Augusta National; the US Open is rescheduled for Sep. 17-20 at Winged Foot on Long Island; the PGA Championship is rescheduled for Aug. 6-9 in San Francisco.
  • April 6: The Open Championships has officially been canceled. New estimates on the first PGA event of the year are June 4-7 (Memorial in Dublin, OH).

  • April 1: The Open Championship is on the verge of being canceled, but nothing is official yet despite Golf Digest suggesting otherwise:

  • March 19: The next event that has not yet been canceled/postponed is the Charles Schwab Challenge, which runs from May 21-24 in Fort Worth, TX.
  • March 17: The PGA Tour has canceled events until at least May 10.
  • March 16: At least the next three events on the PGA tour have been canceled. The next event on the schedule that has not been officially canceled is the RBC Heritage in South Carolina on April 19.


Soccer

  • June 17: The Champions League will finish the 2019-20 season in Lisbon with single-elimination games from the quarterfinals onwards.
  • June 17: The EPL returned to action today with two games (Aston Villa vs Sheffield United; Man City vs Arsenal) in empty stadiums.
  • June 9: UEFA is proposing two hold one or two localized tournaments (from the quarterfinals onward) in order to complete the Champions League season.

  • May 28: The EPL has confirmed a June 17 return date.
  • May 23: Spain’s La Liga is likely to return on June 12.
  • May 16: The Bundesliga resumed its season today.
  • May 11: EPL is cleared to resume on June 1st by UK government.
  • May 7: The Bundesliga will resume play on May 16.
  • May 5: The return of Germany’s top league may only be pushed back a week or so (from May 9 to May 15) according to reports out of Berlin.
  • May 1: The Bundesliga’s proposed May 9 return date has been postponed indefinitely due to actions by the German government.

  • April 30: PSG has been declared the Ligue 1 champion.

  • April 28: The 2019-20 Ligue 1 season has been declared finished after French PM Edouard Philippe announced that no large sporting events will take place in the country before September.
  • April 22: May 9 is the confirmed target date for Germany’s Bundesliga.
  • April 22: June 1 is the current target for the EPL’s return, with the teams completing their remaining nine or ten games over the six ensuing weeks.
  • April 8: The Bundesliga may return ahead of schedule. The league is now aiming for the beginning of May.

  • April 6: News out of England is that June 1 continues to be the likely return date.

  • March 24: The English Premier League is aiming for a June 1 return date, though it officially remains suspended “indefinitely”.
  • March 20: La Liga chief Javier Tebas  stated today that he believe the major European leagues will be able to resume by mid-May. That would include La Liga (Spain), Ligue 1 (France), and Bundesliga (Germany). Based on the extent of the crisis in Italy, it’s unlikely that his comments extend to Serie A.

 

Tennis

  • June 17: The ATP’s revised schedule for 2020 will commence with the Citi Open in Washington, DC, starting Aug. 14.
  • May 31: US Open organizers are proceeding with a plan to play the tournament on its scheduled dates (Aug. 24-Sep. 13) in New York without fans.
  • March 31: Wimbledon has officially been canceled.


UFC

  • June 9: Dana White announced on Twitter that the UFC will be hosting at least four events on an island off Abu Dhabi, UAE, in July (a.k.a. “Fight Island”).

  • May 26: The promotion announced that its May 30 event will take place in Las Vegas, NV, at the UFC Apex Gym. No events have been held in LV since early March.
  • May 13: UFC Fight Night 171, a rare midweek event, took place in Jacksonville without incident.
  • May 9: UFC 249 went off without a hitch. Justin Gaethje claimed the interim lightweight title. Henry Cejudo defended the bantamweight belt.
  • May 5: Amanda Nunes vs Felicia Spencer (originally scheduled for May 9) has been rescheduled for June 6.
  • April 16: Dana White is still planning to hold the May 9 event, now with Gaethje vs Ferguson added to the card.

  • April 9: UFC 249 (scheduled for April 18) has been canceled. All other events are postponed “indefinitely.”

  • March 16: The UFC was the last citadel to fall. The promotion announced today that all events will be postponed until at least UFC 249 on April 18, 2020.

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