MLS might resume play with all games in Orlando
Major League Soccer is looking at the possibility of resuming the season this summer with all teams playing in Orlando.
Details of the plan are still under consideration, but the league’s 26 teams and limited staff likely would be sheltered in a resort with games played without fans at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World, a person with knowledge of the plan said.
Teams could head to Florida as early as June 1 for training camps. The league suspended play March 12 after teams had played just two of their 34 scheduled games.
“I think the league is still at a stage, from what I understand, where this particular idea is something that they have in mind and are trying to get feedback from teams about what it could look like and how it could work,” Nashville coach Gary Smith said.
“We’re in uncharted territory here. I certainly, along with probably most other people, have never seen anything like it before. So therefore, you have to be a little bit more openminded about what a season could look like.”
Other proposals have included teams playing a tournamentstyle competition in four cities. There’s also the possibility teams could return to their home stadiums for games following the resumption of the season in Orlando.
It was not clear whether any of the plans had been presented to the players’ union.
Basketball: The Miami Heat became the 10th NBA team to reopen its doors for oncourt individual workouts — the first permitted sessions since the league ordered teams to close their training facilities as part of the coronavirus response about two months ago.
Given the shelterinplace orders in San Francisco that will last at least last through the end of the month, the Warriors are not holding workouts.
The NCAA is pushing back its deadline for early entrants to the NBA draft to withdraw and return to school, though it will wait to set a new date. The deadline was June 3.
Oklahoma hired Courtney Paris, a Piedmont native who just finished a 10season professional career in the WNBA and Europe, as an assistant coach for its women’s team. She played for the Sooners from 2005 through ’09.
Horse racing: Santa Anita in Arcadia will resume live racing Friday after receiving approval from Los Angeles County health officials.
The track stopped live racing March 27 by order of the county health department because of concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. From March 12 through March 27, the track held races without spectators.
NFL: The league reportedly has extended its virtual offseason workouts through the end of May. Teams normally would be holding Organized Team Activities (OTAs) during May, followed by June minicamps.
Motor sports: IndyCar added another race, and now plans to crown its champion on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., with the original opener being rescheduled for Oct. 25 as the finale. The previous seasonender had been the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Oct. 3