When Will the MLB, NBA, NHL, PGA Tour Return? See Estimated Dates for All Major Leagues
By Sascha Paruk in News
Updated: July 10, 2020 at 9:23 am EDTPublished:
- 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.
2020 Tour de France rescheduled for August 29-September 20.#Cycling pic.twitter.com/z0Xawsgf8F
— The Peloton (@ThePeloton_) April 15, 2020
- 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. \
There is a tentative plan for the Nationals and Yankees to open the season in Washington on July 23, according to a person who's seen a working schedule. But the person stressed that it is, indeed, tentative and subject to change. @Joelsherman1 + @AndrewMarchand first reported.
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) June 27, 2020
- June 22: After more failed negotiations, the league is planning to unilaterally set a 60-game schedule starting roughly July 24.
MLB plans to implement a 60-game season provided the union agrees with the health/safety protocols and that a spring training 2.0 to start in 7 days
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 23, 2020
- 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.
Source: MLB proposal includes:
•60 games in 70 days
•Season starting July 19th/20th
•Full Prorated Salary
•Expanded Playoffs in 2020 and 2021
•Waiving of any potential grievance— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 17, 2020
- 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.
“I’m 100% confident there will be a season” -Rob Manfred
“Tell is when and where.” -MLBPA
“I’m not confident there will be a season in 2020.” -Rob Manfred
This all transpired within a weeks time. pic.twitter.com/0HiKwZnK9F
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) June 15, 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.
Manfred: "We're going to play baseball in 2020, 100 percent."
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) June 10, 2020
- 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.
MLB has made proposal to Players. 75 percent Prorated salary. 76 game season. Playoff pool money. No draft pick compensation for signing player. Season finishes September 27th. Post season ends at end of October. Significant move towards players demands and effort to play more.
— Karl Ravech (@karlravechespn) June 8, 2020
- 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.
USA TODAY reports a three-division realignment is under consideration by MLB for this season, and PLEASE let this happen, because the Cubs' division would be insane. https://t.co/GZIxkIIeVu pic.twitter.com/NzVy5Rxq1B
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) April 28, 2020
- 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.
NEWS: Major League Baseball and the MLBPA are focusing on a plan backed by federal health officials that could have players in training camps by May and games soon thereafter.
Details at ESPN on how MLB may return — and the difficulty in doing so: https://t.co/zDoNa3k4pm
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 7, 2020
- 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.
Statement from Major League Baseball: pic.twitter.com/E5xPfMGOc0
— MLB (@MLB) March 16, 2020
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.
MLS announces a return to play in July through a tournament in Orlando.
The best parts:
1. The games are continual everyday like the World Cup (9 am, 8 pm and 10:30 pm). Full days of soccer. It’s beautiful.2. The regular season will continue after the tournament.
— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) June 10, 2020
- 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.
MLS restart pushed back even more. It will be at least June 8 before the league returns, but it's hard to see that as a realistic possibility at this point. https://t.co/ujpHIBTbQw
— No Other Pod (@NoOtherPod) April 17, 2020
- March 19: MLS has announced the season will not resume before May 10.
MLS set to announce May 10 as the day it hopes to return to playing games, following the recent CDC recommendation.
— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) March 19, 2020
- 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.
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.
Tentative NASCAR schedule handed out to teams per @AutoweekUSA
May 17) Darlington 400
May 20) Darlington 310
May 24) Coke 600
May 27) Charlotte 310
May 31) Martinsville
June 3) Bristol
June 7) Atlanta
June 14) Homestead— BrakeHard (@BrakeHardBlog) April 28, 2020
- 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).
Here’s the NBA’s full restart schedule, July 30-August 14 in Orlando. Gonna be a fun two weeks to lock down playoff spots and seeding! pic.twitter.com/fFC8SxFelR
— 102.5 & 106.3 The Game (@1025TheGame) June 26, 2020
- 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.
NBA's decision on opening practice facilities to players in markets where governments may be loosening stay-at-home orders doesn't mean a resumption of season is imminent. The NBA is still unsure on if/when it can play again. But getting players safely into gyms was a priority.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 25, 2020
- Apr. 3: The league is discussing potentially playing the entire postseason in Las Vegas with shortened rounds.
The NBA is seriously considering Las Vegas to host the NBA Playoffs. They’ve mentioned the first two rounds being best of 3, possibly putting it at the Thomas and Mack center or even in a casino ballroom. (ESPN)
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) April 2, 2020
- 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.
A Letter to NBA Fans pic.twitter.com/hPX6xhmy9d
— NBA (@NBA) March 13, 2020
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.
Ezekiel Elliott is one of "several" Cowboys players to test positive for COVID-19, per @RapSheet pic.twitter.com/Jraw8TIJkg
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 15, 2020
- Apr. 5: Trump told the major-sport commissioners that the NFL should begin on time.
In conference call with major league sports commissioners on Saturday, President Donald Trump said he believes the NFL season should start on time in September, sources familiar with the call told @wojespn and me. More on call coming at https://t.co/rDZaVFhcDQ.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 4, 2020
NHL
- July 3: The NHL and NHLPA are nearing an agreement on RTP details. The new target date for the restart is Aug. 1.
All dates are tentative and highly subject to change. If getting an agreement or ratifying drags on, changes can and will be made, but it’s my understanding these are target dates:
July 13: Training camps (Phase 3) open
July 26: Teams report to Hubs
Aug 1: Games begin (Phase 4)— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 3, 2020
- June 19: Several members of the TB Lightning tested positive for coronavirus. Team facilities have been closed.
Multiple players for both the @Phillies and @TBLightning tested positive for #COVID19, prompting both teams to shut down facilities as they await results from further testing. We've got details on these situations and much more, today in #ClosingBell
🔔: https://t.co/WHPwOMPg9X pic.twitter.com/VYwDaSQm79
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) June 19, 2020
- 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.
In memo to players and teams today, #NHL says it "may be able – provided we continue to trend favorably" move to Phase 2 and open facilities in "mid-to-later portion of May."
Players currently outside of club city should "consider whether to plan to return to their Club cities."
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) April 29, 2020
- April 24: According to one ex-NHLer, team camps are going to start on June 1.
Just got word that the NHL camps will begin again June 1… European players are coming back soon #breaking
— John Scott (@johnscott_32) April 24, 2020
- April 22: One report suggests the NHL is planning to resume in July at select regional sites.
JUST IN: NHL looking at restarting season in July.
Games would be played at 4 or 5 neutral sites with limited or no fans, according to Florida Panthers president Matt Caldwell.
On the conference call, he said this plan is not finalized.
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) April 22, 2020
- 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.
BREAKING: The PGA Tour will announce this week that it plans to resume its season June 11-14 at Colonial, according to multiple sources. Here is what the schedule is expected to look like when it gets released: https://t.co/J9v1ey9eEU
— Brian Wacker (@brianwacker1) April 15, 2020
- 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).
BREAKING: As @GolfDigest reported last week, British Open is canceled, formally expected today. Other announcements:
Tour will begin mid June, with no fans, at Memorial
PGA Champ Aug 6; Ryder Cup Sept 25
US Open Sept 17
Masters to Nov— Joel Beall (@JoelMBeall) April 6, 2020
- April 1: The Open Championship is on the verge of being canceled, but nothing is official yet despite Golf Digest suggesting otherwise:
The Open Championship is being canceled. That is mid-July (July 16)https://t.co/znROYYlrGN
— Jim Dunaway (@jimdunaway) April 2, 2020
- 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.
A letter from Commissioner Jay Monahan. pic.twitter.com/5VkIN1i0ND
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 13, 2020
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.
Lisbon so far front runner to host UCL when it returns. The exact plans haven’t been finalised but it looks likely that the quarter-finals & semi-finals will be one-leg ties, similar to the latter stages of a World Cup. More to come.
— Moby (@Mobyhaque1) June 9, 2020
- 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.
The Bundesliga will not resume on May 9 as previously hoped
The government will be discussing the resumption next week in a video conference but the clubs are reportedly confident that the league will start again in May https://t.co/S6LkA6cOin#Bundesliga #COVID19
— Noah Ballinger (@FootyHub4) May 1, 2020
- April 30: PSG has been declared the Ligue 1 champion.
PSG will be crowned the 2019/20 French League champions.
The LFP have decided Ligue 1's fixed rankings will be taken as final.
🇫🇷🏆 pic.twitter.com/cKhzjqY5wZ
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) April 30, 2020
- 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.
Bundesliga is looking to become the first major European soccer league to end its coronavirus suspension https://t.co/3uviYbqBAu
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 8, 2020
- April 6: News out of England is that June 1 continues to be the likely return date.
Report: The English Premier League is in talks to resume its season in June.https://t.co/Uc87UUNTql pic.twitter.com/XYg4uuVuRz
— 247Sports (@247Sports) April 5, 2020
- 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.
It is with great regret that the AELTC has today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic.
The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.https://t.co/c0QV2ymGAt
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) April 1, 2020
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”).
#UFCFightIsland starts July 11, 15, 18 and 25th YAS Island, Abu Dhabi #InAbuDhabi @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/JGLioBhw4c
— danawhite (@danawhite) June 9, 2020
- 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.
BREAKING: UFC president Dana White says the company has turned its focus to hosting its next event on May 9 at a location TBD. He remains adamant the company will get back on schedule, and barring outside factors, intends to hold a card on May 9. **Targeted matchups** include … pic.twitter.com/HBcqC8SmH7
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) April 14, 2020
- April 9: UFC 249 (scheduled for April 18) has been canceled. All other events are postponed “indefinitely.”
UFC 249, which was supposed to happen April 18, has been canceled.
Dana White confirms to @bokamotoESPN that he was asked to “stand down” by top Disney/ESPN executives and so he is doing so.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 9, 2020
- 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.
https://twitter.com/GoodfellaMedia/status/1239653474108952578
Managing Editor
Sascha has been working in the sports-betting industry since 2014, and quickly paired his strong writing skills with a burgeoning knowledge of probability and statistics. He holds an undergraduate degree in linguistics and a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia.