With no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic, even the NFL is starting to prepare for the misery of canceled games.
Sports Business Journal reported Monday that the NFL is discussing with its teams how to communicate with season ticket holders about refunds for games that are canceled or held without fans in attendance.
The league reportedly sent its teams a memo on Friday with suggestions for how to broach the subject of possible cancellations. “We have every expectation of playing a full schedule in 2020 … But we also understand your concerns,” read the suggested text.
The coronavirus pandemic is increasingly expected to have a long-term impact on American life. The CDC said Sunday that there should be no public gatherings of 50 or more people through mid-May, and the White House suggested Monday that the impact of the virus could last deep into the summer. As the timeline continues to be pushed back, the prospect of a shortened or canceled NFL season threatens to become realistic.
The NFL has already abandoned plans to conduct its annual draft in public, though the event is currently set to remain on its current dates of April 23-25.
The league has not lost games since the 1987 players’ strike. It postponed Week 2 of the 2001 season due to the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, but those games were rescheduled to Week 17.
In the six days since Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus and the NBA suspended its season, the prospect of there being sports for the foreseeable future have become ever-bleaker. There has so far been no good news.
[News from Sports Business Journal 3.17]
