Coronavirus Upends the Sports World with Season Suspensions and Format Changes

The Coronavirus has impacted the sports world in a major way. Here’s our briefing on how the NBA, the NHL, the NCAA, and the NFL are dealing with the situation.

Fears over the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, have taken their toll on the sports world. From the NBA and NHL suspending their seasons to the impacted NFL drafts and March Madness cancellation, the virus has disrupted several leagues. Here’s everything you need to know.

The NBA Considers Games Without Audiences

In early March, the NBA considered holding games without audiences. The consideration came after news of the coronavirus spreading rapidly in the US. Similarly, the NCAA had considered hosting the March Madness tournament with no audiences. However, all that changed with the testing of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.

NBA Suspends the Season

On Wednesday, March 11th, the NBA decided to suspend its season until further notice when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus. Gobert’s results led to the cancellation of the Thunder – Jazz game. Prior to receiving his test results, Gobert joked around at a press conference. He thought people were being too paranoid and proceeded to touch all the press microphones before leaving. What began as a juvenile joke turned into a potentially damaging action.

The following day, fellow Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive for the coronavirus. Gobert has since apologized for his behavior. The rest of the Jazz are being tested for the virus. The NBA had planned to permit the final game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings, but postponed the game once they discovered one of the officials had recently worked a Utah Jazz game.

Mark Cuban’s Reaction

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took a logical stance, supporting the NBA’s decision in a press conference following the suspension. “This is people’s lives at stake. This isn’t about basketball.” Cuban also said he’s in talks with the Mavericks organization to provide funds for employees whose jobs are at stake due to the NBA suspension. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league will wait at least thirty days before resuming play.

NHL Follows Suit and Suspends its Season

Following the NBA’s suspension, the National Hockey League also suspended its season. While the NHL did not have any players test positive for the virus, they did their best to get ahead of the situation. Taking the seriousness of the NBA’s suspension into account, the NHL suspended to avoid any health risks to players, officials, staff, and fans.

What about the NFL?

Although the NFL season is still a few months away, the coronavirus has already affected the draft process and the upcoming season’s schedule. Many of these changes resulted from strict travel bans for NFL employees, rather than a reaction to infected players. The NFL also canceled its annual owners meeting in light of the outbreak. It’s likely that the NFL draft taking place April 23-25 will see enormous format changes. The draft typically draws a large crowd, which poses a risk that the NFL does not want to adopt in the current climate.

No More March Madness

All NCAA tournaments, including March Madness, have also been postponed due to the coronavirus. This cancellation is one of the largest rocking the sports world at the moment, as the tournament has never been canceled in its history. March Madness also creates much needed revenue for the league. And those concerns don’t even begin to address all the lost hopes of would-be superstars losing their chances to prove their skills in the biggest tournament of their lives.

The economic consequences of league suspensions are harrowing. Sports broadcasts generate hefty revenue for leagues, players, employees, and sponsors alike. With such a major segment of the sports world affected by the coronavirus, many people are expecting significant financial losses. However, the health and wellness of the sports world takes precedence. Though it’s difficult to interfere with so many sporting events, the leagues have made responsible choices to maintain the health and safety of everyone involved.