CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM INDICATES REOPENING SPORTS AS EARLY AS JUNE

The Santa Monica men's soccer team, who are ranked 3rd in the Western State Conference, took on Allan Hancock College, who are ranked 2nd in the same conference, on November 5th, 2019, at Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, Calif. The game ended in a tie at 0-0, leaving Santa Monica with a battle to make it to the top spot with only a few games left in the regular season.(Photo by Michael Was/The Corsair)

As stay-at-home orders ease, California Governor Gavin Newsom has given Californians an indication of when professional sports can reopen. In a statement by Gov. Newsom, he announced that pro sports could make a return as early as the first week of June without the attendance of fans.

With the prior announcement of the National Basketball Association (NBA) allowing teams to reopen facilities on a limited basis, the Los Angeles Lakers reopened facilities Saturday May 16, and the Los Angeles Clippers reopened Monday May 18. As for the Golden State Warriors, their reopening is delayed until May 31 because of more strict stay-at-home guidelines in San Francisco. 

Although teams are starting to be permitted by the NBA to reopen facilities, they are to do so with limitations such as, only allowing a maximum of four players at a time in the practice facilities to work with one strength and conditioning coach, or athletic trainer. Head Coaches and assistant coaches are prohibited from instructing workout.

As for the National Football League (NFL), they’re allowing their teams back into facilities as early as May 19, but they are to do so “under governing state and local regulations, in compliance with additional public health requirements,” according to a statement provided by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. This gives teams such as the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers access back into their facilities as they have already made the shift to virtual at-home workouts. The NFL set guidelines for teams to follow if they do go back to their facilities including, allowing a maximum of 75 people at their facilities with head coaches and assistant coaches being prohibited to join. For reference, the average NFL team roster is 90 players.

With Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL) going through proposals, MLB is having problems getting their players to agree on reduced salaries with notable stars like Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell saying “a pay cut is not happening”, while also acknowledging the risk/reward of playing during the pandemic. One of MLB’s biggest star players, the Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper, agreed with Snell. The NHL is having complications finding a location to host their games, with California allowing sports to reopen it is fair to wonder if California which is home to three NHL teams, will be an option to play here.

For the NBA, the goal is to have some sort of regular season before they head into the playoffs so they can fulfill television contracts, and help playoff teams get into “game shape”. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers, who were among the top teams in the Western Conference, can get back to pushing for the chance to become 2020 NBA Finals champions. 

The Golden State Warriors on the other hand who were dead last in the Western Conference face a unique situation as they have nothing to play for. Steve Kerr, the Head Coach for the Warriors, said in an interview with reporters on April 28, that the team is already in “offseason mode.” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the other hand has encouraged teams that are out of postseason contention to return, even if they “have nothing to play for.”

Division I college sports are further away from making their return as the NCAA has encouraged the Power Five conferences to not return to sports, especially if campuses are closed and classes are remote. For sports at the community college level Director of Sports Information and Communication of the California Community College Athletics Association (CCCAA), Mike Robles said in a brief statement, “Unfortunately, at this point we don’t have a lot of information to share. There is a lot of information gathering taking place and a lot of discussions forthcoming. No decisions on fall sports have been made.”

Colleges will face a tougher obstacle especially community colleges in California. The CCCAA currently oversees 108 schools, and finding a location while figuring out logistics for all those programs is at the forefront of coaches’ minds all over California.