MAC fall sports pushed back
The Mid-American Conference announced Thursday it will delay the start of its fall sports to Sept. 3 — a decision that will affect field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country. It applies to exhibition and nonconference games and aligns with the scheduled start of the football season.
Northern Illinois president Lisa Freeman and
Sean T. Frazier, the school’s associate vice president and director of athletics, released a statement:
“As we continue to evaluate and monitor the impact of COVID-19 on college athletics, our first consideration has been and will continue to be the health and safety of Northern Illinois University studentathletes, coaches, staff and all who may be affected.
“Today’s announcement by the Mid-American Conference to push back the start of all 2020 fall sports seasons provides us with additional time to determine the best — and safest — course of action.”
The NCAA handed down its latest guidelines for playing through the pandemic while also sounding an alarm: The prospect of having a fall semester with football and other sports is looking grim.
If games can go on, the NCAA said athletes should be tested for the coronavirus no more than 72 hours before they play, players with high-risk exposure should be quarantined for 14 days, and everybody on sidelines should wear a mask. Versatile 6-6 Waubonsie Valley forward Ben
Schwieger committed to Loyola, his top pick since the recruiting process began.
MISCELLANEOUS Tiger in the hunt at Muirfield Village
Tiger Woods opened with a 10-foot birdie and finished with a 15-foot birdie for a 1-under 71, leaving him five shots behind leader Tony Finau after the first round of the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio. Finau finished with seven birdies over his last 10 holes.
Ryan Palmer was a stroke behind him.
The wind was strong and often changed direction. That showed in the scoring. Only seven players broke 70, compared with 35 rounds in the 60s for the first round of the Workday Charity Open last week at Muirfield.
Parts of Rogers Place in Edmonton were flooded by a storm, but the Oilers said the damage wouldn’t affect plans to use the arena as an NHL hub when the season resumes. The Blackhawks will play the Oilers there in a five-game series.
Masahiro Tanaka threw a 30-pitch bullpen session in his first mound appearance since he was struck by a line drive off the bat of Yankees teammate Giancarlo Stanton on July 4. He remains uncertain for his first turn through the rotation.
Serena Williams is planning to return to competition at a new hard-court tournament in Kentucky called the Top Seed Open next month. She hasn’t played since the Fed Cup in February.