Olympics: 

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are set to start on July 23, 2021, and end on August 8, 2021. The dates were set to allow competing athletes maximum time to deal with the challenges facing their respective countries during the pandemic. The International Olympic Committee, National Olympic Committees and the Japanese government deemed the initial postponement necessary despite the $700 million lost in the interest of the health and safety of the athletes. The IOC maintains the belief that fans will be in attendance at the Olympic games and urges citizens to cooperate with safety protocols to make this a reality. 

NBA: 

The NBA season is officially underway after the shortest offseason in history. The season is off to a bit of a rocky start because of COVID-19 regulations causing significant absences and postponements. The NBA has announced no plans to shut down, but if cases rise again the league may be left with no choice. The NBA has confirmed over 100 positive tests to date including stars like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Also, The Philadelphia 76ers played a game on Jan. 9 with only seven players due to COVID-19 related absences. Many teams have been unable to play all together as well leading to multiple postponements throughout the season. However, due to a 10 percent loss in revenue in the 2019-2020 season, the NBA is set on seeing this season through. 

NCAA Basketball Tournament: 

March Madness is weeks away and the NCAA has come up with a plan to make sure games are played and teams stay safe. The men’s tournament will be held in Indianapolis, where NCAA headquarters is located. In previous years, the tournament was played at 13 different sites but this year’s games will be played mainly in Indianapolis, with some in West Lafayette and Bloomington, Indiana. Dan Gavitt, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball, plans for the teams to remain in a “controlled environment.” The plan is still to host 68 teams. Each team will stay in hotels connected to the Indiana Convention Center and designated to specific floors. Selection Sunday will be March 14, and the Final Four games will be played on April 3 and 5. A limited number of players and coaches’ family members are permitted to attend games, but no decision has been made regarding other fans. The NCAA women’s basketball tournament is expected to take place in San Antonio. 64 teams will play and will follow a time frame similar to tournaments in the past.

MLB: 

MLB’s plans are in the works to allow fans to attend games after the 2020 regular season was played without any fans. Although the league will not require any precautions, teams will have the ability to decide on a protocol, like whether fans will be required to have proof of vaccination, negative tests and temperature checks. In the 2020 World Series, the MLB started to bring back fans, starting at around 11,500 a game. These fans were not required to get temperature checks. The one rule the League will mandate is having viewers wear masks at all times, except for when eating or drinking, and no one is permitted to watch morning workouts or pregame warmups. According to Sports Illustrated, commissioner Rob Manfred spoke to the MLB teams and told them to plan on having a full 162-game season. This includes spring training starting Feb. 27 and Opening Day April 1.

College football: 

Alabama won yet another national championship over Ohio State in dominating fashion totaling 18 national championships for the Crimson Tide. With the season over, practices for the Reese’s Senior Bowl have begun and the game is expected to be played on Jan. 30. 

NHL: 

The NHL started on Jan. 13 and has been off to a rough start. Many teams have been subject to COVID-19 suspensions. Most recently the Carolina Hurricanes had five COVID-19 related absences and were unable to play against the Nashville Predators this past Tuesday. Although it is early in the NHL season, it seems like they might face some similar issues that the NBA has faced.