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Here is what has happened over the last couple of weeks in the NBA:MARCH 31The Oklahoma City Thunder organization, specifically members of the roster and basketball operations staff, received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday,  as first reported by ESPN. The number of personnel who participated in the inoculations was called “significant.” A link was also provided in the social media messages through which Oklahomans could schedule vaccine appointments of their own. Read more here.MARCH 30The NBA has incentivized getting vaccinated, allowing teams that have 85% of both players and staff fully-vaccinated to be freed from the restrictions that have kept them masked in locker rooms, confined to their hotel rooms without guests on the road and banned from eating at restaurants. However, despite the incentives, some players and staff are refusing to be vaccinated, citing religious reasons, health concerns (such as allergies) or other personal reasons. NBPA executive director Michele Roberts spoke with the Wall Street Journal and confirmed that at least a sect of players have concerns about being vaccinated. Roberts suggests, however, that the vaccines -- which she says are “auditioning” -- are “earning credibility” with her constituents. Read more here.MARCH 26Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed that approximately one dozen members of the team, apparently players and coaches, received the COVID-19 vaccine this week. The news of the inoculations arrives amid reports that some Warriors players do not intend to get the vaccine. Kerr disclosed that the players and coaches who were inoculated Thursday received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which means a second shot will not be necessary. As noted, some Warriors players previously expressed an aversion to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. This week, both Andrew Wiggins and Kent Bazemore indicated vaccinations are not in their future. Bazemore provided a blunt “no” when asked. Wiggins, meanwhile, said, “I don’t really see myself getting it anytime soon, unless forced to, somehow.” Read more here.While it fell through the cracks to some extent amidst a hectic trade-deadline week, the latest update from the NBA and NBPA on coronavirus testing results was another favorable one. According to the league and the union, just one player out of 485 tested positive for COVID-19 between March 17-24. Read more here.MARCH 24Some members of the Los Angeles Lakers organization will receive the COVID-19 vaccine at some point this week, according to a report from Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The Lakers will join the New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat as NBA organizations that have disclosed receipt of COVID-19 vaccines since inoculations became more readily available to the general public. Read more here.MARCH 23Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), the Heat intend to open two sections in their lower bowl only for fans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning with their April 1 game against the Golden State Warriors. The Heat are the first NBA franchise to announce such a move, but the AP added other clubs are working to follow in Miami's footsteps. Read more here.MARCH 22Knicks point guard Derrick Rose has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced Monday. However, it remains to be seen when he’ll be cleared to return to action, since he’ll have to rebuild his strength and conditioning following a bout with COVID-19, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. Read more here.MARCH 18The NBA and NBPA have reached an agreement to lighten health and safety protocols for players who have been vaccinated. There were also be changes in guidelines for teams where 85% of players and staff have received the vaccination. The NBA considers someone fully vaccinated 14 days after they have received the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. According to ESPN's Baxter Holmes, vaccinated individuals will no longer be required to quarantine due to exposure to the coronavirus. Further, they also will be able to have up to four guests on the road without prior testing and allowed to go to outdoor restaurants. For teams that reach 85% vaccination for players and staff, they will no longer be required to wear masks at team practice facilities and they will have more flexibility to leave the hotel when they are on the road, including eating both indoors and outdoors at restaurants. Read more here.The NBA and NBPA announced on Wednesday that three of the 490 players tested for the coronavirus since March 10 returned confirmed positive tests. That’s relatively good news for the league, since there was some concern about players moving all over the country during the All-Star break before returning to their teams. It appears there hasn’t been a spike in COVID-19 cases following the break. Read more here.MARCH 17Warriors big men James Wiseman and Eric Paschall will be quarantining due to COVID-19 protocols for at least one week, per Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area. The players were initially sidelined on Wednesday night for Golden State’s battle with the hapless Rockets, a 108-94 victory, after contact tracing revealed potential exposure to the novel coronavirus, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Slater adds that some of the Warriors’ development staff and assistant coaches have also entered the NBA’s coronavirus protocols. Read more here.MARCH 14Eligible members of the New Orleans Pelicans organization, including several players, received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, the team announced, according to ESPN's Andrew Lopez. Pelicans reserve guard Sindarius Thornwell was among the players. Read more here.MARCH 13While the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on every pro sport and team, the scale of the damage seems to be known for the Sacramento Kings. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Jason Jones, the Kings lost approximately $100 million over the last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here.MARCH 12Rookie center James Wiseman notched 14 points and seven rebounds in the Golden State Warriors' loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. He only played the fourth quarter. Wiseman was fully cleared to play, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr benched him for the first three quarters for missing COVID-19 tests during the All-Star break. Read more here.MARCH 11The NBA has maintained its message that safety is the top priority for this season, but Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy says that the league needs to be honest about its real No. 1 priority: the almighty dollar. "The one thing I will criticize the league office and other people who say… ‘Safety is our No. 1 concern." No, no. It’s your number two concern," Stan Van Gundy said on The Intersection podcast with Jason Page. "Your number one concern is making money, and your number two concern is while we’re making the money let’s keep everyone as safe as we can. Let’s just be honest about that." Van Gundy pointed to last weekend's All-Star Game as proof of the NBA putting money ahead of keeping people safe, noting that it would have been "a lot safer not to play." Read more here.More and more states, cities, and communities are opening outdoor and indoor events to paying spectators despite continued COVID-19 concerns. During a Thursday appearance on ESPN's "First Take," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that the existence of at least three coronavirus vaccines should permit growing numbers of fans to safely attend sporting events over the next several months. Read more here.MARCH 10A week off for the All-Star break didn’t resolve the Raptors‘ coronavirus situation, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw all remain in the league’s health and safety protocols and won’t be available for Thursday’s game with the Hawks. Read more here.However, Nick Nurse was cleared to return Wednesday and guided the team through practice, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Nurse expects to be back on the sidelines Thursday as Toronto starts the second half of the season against the Hawks. Read more here.MARCH 9The NBA is reportedly quite concerned over how a sizable contingent of league players descended upon Miami while the league held All-Star Game festivities in Atlanta over the weekend. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, an estimated 150 players are believed to have traveled to Miami at some point this past weekend. The concerns are that players may have overlooked following some of the league-mandated COVID-19 protocols while enjoying the nightlife in South Beach and Miami’s many other attractions, leaving the league confronting a possible coronavirus outbreak. Read more here.After having to miss the 2021 All-Star game Sunday due to potential COVID-19 exposure, return timelines from quarantining have been established for Sixers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, should they continue to test negative for the novel coronavirus. Embiid will have to isolate until Friday, meaning he will miss Philadelphia’s contest against the Bulls scheduled for Thursday, March 11. Simmons, meanwhile, is required to quarantine until at least Saturday. This will make Simmons a scratch against the Wizards in a Friday matchup, as well as Chicago. Read more here.MARCH 8Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons missed the NBA All-Star Game and left Atlanta ahead of the contest due to contact tracing that linked them with a barber who tested positive for COVID-19, but the Association confirmed on Monday that no players, coaches or officials tested positive for the virus during the All-Star festivities. Because of concerns related to the virus' incubation period, it's unknown if either Embiid or Simmons will be available when Philadelphia opens the second half of the season at the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. "So far, so good as far as their testing," 76ers coach Doc Rivers told reporters about the pair. "They feel great. They both obviously wanted to play. We're disappointed. Both of them, their biggest concern would be if they could play the first two games when we get back. So we don't know the answer to that yet. That's going to be really important for us. It would be tough to start the second half of the year and not have either one." Read more here.MARCH 7According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons will miss the All-Star Game after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Read more here.Brooklyn Nets star James Harden is among the players who have made it known that they aren't happy with the NBA's decision to host the All-Star Game amid the ongoing pandemic. The three-time scoring champion said Sunday that the league "kind of forced" the game upon the players, according to Farbod Esnaashari of Sports Illustrated. Read more here.Additionally, Paul George also expressed frustration with the NBA still playing the game. “It is just an unfortunate time in the world where our health and safety should be at the front of the helm,” George told reporters. “I personally don’t agree with the game.” Read more here.MARCH 6ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Joel Embiid is planning to donate his All-Star Game earnings, which is $100K, to homeless shelters in Philadelphia. The money donated will provide meals, clothing and COVID-19 treatment for people at the shelters. Read more here.NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday that he's "optimistic" the 2021-22 season will start on time with "fairly full arenas," according to Marc Stein of the New York Times. Read more here.Additionally, Silver said Saturday he does not envision returning to a bubble environment. Read more here.No fans are allowed to attend the 2021 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, plenty of bars and clubs in the area are planning to host parties for the event. With everyone's health and safety in mind, the NBA sent about 200 cease-and-desist orders to party promoters in Atlanta who have used the league's All-Star logo and event name in connection with unaffiliated events this weekend, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times. Read more here.The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and NCAA, unsurprisingly, took a massive hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When the entire country came to a halt about one year ago, Forbes estimated that the four major American sports leagues and the NCAA would lose a combined $5 billion in revenue. According to Forbes' most recent report, the revenue losses for the NCAA and the four major U.S. sports leagues have now hit at least $14.1 billion. Read more here.MARCH 5NBA commissioner Adam Silver made it clear in comments this week that the league is discouraging fans from descending on Atlanta for Sunday’s scaled-down 2021 NBA All-Star Game event. Silver laid out how the NBA wants to keep things as safe as possible during this weekend’s festivities at State Farm Arena, home of the Hawks, given it’s being held despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “The message within the NBA community is that we’re going to be operating in a mini bubble,” Silver said. “There will be no NBA functions [for fans] to participate in. We appreciate their support and hope they’ll watch our All-Star Game on television … this is a television-only event in Atlanta.” Read more here.Jayson Tatum is averaging 24 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game over his last three contests, but the Boston Celtics star still isn't feeling 100%. After a 132-125 win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, Tatum admitted he's still not feeling right after his battle with COVID-19 in January. "I'm not sure about back to normal. I for sure feel better than I did the first game [on Jan. 25]. It's a long process," Tatum said, according to CBS Boston. "I've talked to guys that said it took months for them to kind of catch their breath, and get their wind back. And I think I'm kind of on the same track with that. I for sure feel better. I don't feel necessarily the same before I got it when I was playing. I definitely know there's a difference. But I feel pretty good." Read more here.MARCH 4After playing without several key rotation players on Wednesday night vs. Detroit due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Raptors missed those same players on Thursday in Boston. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets, the club officially announced that Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw remain in the protocols and have been ruled out for Thursday’s game. Read more here.Per Alex Smith of Yahoo Sports, Knicks guard Derrick Rose was available for Thursday's game versus the Detroit Pistons due to the NBA's health and safety protocols related to COVID-19. He missed Tuesday night's matchup at the Spurs following an inconclusive coronavirus test result but, as Peter Botte noted for the New York Post, there was hope Rose would be able to play Thursday after he provided multiple negative tests and returned to New York. Read more here.MARCH 3Texas Governor Greg Abbott's decision to lift the state-wide mask mandate this week amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was met with plenty of criticism across the country. Even San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich sounded off on Abbott. During a pregame press conference on Tuesday before a game against the New York Knicks, Popovich called Abbott's decision to reopen the state "mystifying," according to TMZ Sports. Read more here.Knicks point guard Derrick Rose was sidelined for Tuesday’s game due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, but it sounds like he shouldn’t miss additional time. According to Steve Popper of Newsday, Rose registered an inconclusive COVID-19 test and was held out for precautionary reasons. Rose has since returned multiple negative results and was cleared to accompany the team on its flight back home. As long as he continues to test negative Wednesday and Thursday, the former MVP will be able to play in the Knicks’ final first-half game against Detroit on Thursday, says Popper. Read more here.The Pistons are among the latest teams to announce plans to bring a limited number of fans back into their arena. According to a press release, Detroit will permit up to 750 fans at Little Caesars Arena starting on March 17. That number may increase later in the season. Read more here.Although the 2021 NBA Rising Stars game will not be played at the All-Star Game this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the league still decided to unveil the rosters as a way to honor the players who would have made it. Read more here.There are seven new positive coronavirus test results among the 456 league players tested since February 24, per an announcement from the NBPA. Read more here.Furthermore, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Toronto Raptors are responsible for "many" of those new positives. Read more here.The Raptors are dealing with a COVID outbreak, and according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, one cause may have been the coaching staff’s inconsistent mask-wearing. Read more here.MARCH 2The NBA and NBPA intend to further loosen the restrictions facing players on two-way contracts for the rest of the 2020-21 season, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Currently, players on two-way contracts are limited to appearing in 50 regular-season games and aren’t eligible for the postseason. The plan is to eliminate both of those restrictions, pending board of governors approval. Read more here.ESPN's Royce Young reported on Tuesday that the Oklahoma City Thunder have become the first NBA team to announce they won't welcome fans through the rest of the 2020-21 season. Read more here.FEBRUARY 2876ers guard Seth Curry started the 2020-21 season on a high note, but then he tested positive for COVID-19 in January and hasn't been the same since. After the 112-109 loss to the Cavaliers, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said he blamed the coronavirus for Curry's recent struggles. "I don't think he's been very consistent since he's returned from COVID," Rivers said, according to Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. "We have heard that other players have been in and out like this as well." Read more here.FEBRUARY 27The Toronto Raptors have three games remaining before the All-Star break, and Pascal Siakam will reportedly miss all of them. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Siakam will remain in the NBA's health and safety protocols after missing Friday's game against the Houston Rockets. Read more here.Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, who has missed the past 10 games while in the league’s health and safety protocols, will likely play Sunday against the Clippers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Read more here.FEBRUARY 26The NBA will require college seniors to petition the league for inclusion on the early-entry list in order to become draft-eligible this year, ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony reports. The NCAA granted all winter athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, giving every college basketball senior the option of returning for an additional season in 2021-22. The NBA’s decision for seniors to petition for draft eligibility will result in a record-breaking number of players on the early-entry list. In last year’s draft, 163 college underclassmen were on the early entry list. The NCAA’s ruling regarding this year’s college seniors created a loophole in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Givony notes. Normally, graduating college seniors who have exhausted their four years of NCAA eligibility are automatically eligible for the draft. However, college seniors this season still have remaining eligibility. Read more here.FEBRUARY 25Per the Associated Press (h/t NBA.com), Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Thursday that large indoor and outdoor venues, such as sports arenas and ballparks, can welcome fans up to 12% of their capacities beginning March 22. According to estimates shared by Logan Mullen of NESN, the Boston Celtics can permit 2,298 fans. Read more here.FEBRUARY 19The NBA is working toward holding its annual Las Vegas Summer League sometime in early- or mid-August in 2021, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe. The league is still figuring out all the specifics, sources tell ESPN. Read more here.

Here is the latest MLB news from the past couple of weeks:MARCH 30The Astros announced that Myles Straw, Abraham Toro and Garrett Stubbs have rejoined the team after clearing COVID-19 protocols. The trio were absent for contract-tracing purposes in the wake of another positive test within Houston’s camp. In addition, Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter tested positive for COVID-19, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters. Other coaches are out of camp while contact tracing and further tests are administered, though it appears to be somewhat precautionary, as Hinch said that “no one else — player, staff — has been impacted or affected by this.” Read more here.The Blue Jays confirmed that their third homestand of the upcoming MLB regular season has been relocated to their spring training facility of TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., due to the continued closure of the border that separates the United States and Canada to non-essential travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They announced on Feb. 18 that their first two homestands would be played in Florida. To date, Toronto now has 22 of 81 home games scheduled to occur at TD Ballpark rather than Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays won't return to Toronto until May 31, an off day, at the absolute earliest. They hope to fill TD Ballpark to 15% capacity for home games that begin April 8. Typically, the venue seats approximately 8,500 fans. Read more here.MARCH 29Houston Astros players, who choose to do so, will receive the COVID-19 vaccine before Opening Day, manager Dusty Baker said Monday, per The Athletic's Jake Kaplan. Read more here.With the vaccine becoming more available across the country, Major League Baseball is expected to relax health and safety protocols for teams who have at least 85% of their Tier 1 players vaccinated, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Read more here.However, per Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said on Monday his club may not hit the 85% mark due to players opting against vaccination. Read more here.After initially testing positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes — as well as the eight people who were in close contact with him — have been cleared to return to action, per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The reason being that Barnes “has had several COVID-19 tests come back negative since the initial positive result on Saturday,” according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. Read more here.MARCH 26Major League Baseball saw an uptick in positive COVID-19 tests heading into the final week of spring training. In their Friday update, MLB and the MLB Players Association announced that two new players and two staff members tested positive for the coronavirus over the past week. While this represents a 0.03% positive rate among the 13,978 tests collected, only one new player tested positive the previous week. Two players tested positive from March 5-12. Since intake testing upon arrival at spring training, MLB has reported 33 total positive COVID-19 test results, with 25 of those coming from players. Read more here.Per Anthony Castrovince of the official MLB website, over one million total vaccine doses have now been administered across nearly a dozen ballparks. Earlier this month, the NFL surpassed the one-million mark for vaccines provided at league sites. Read more here.MARCH 24New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Wednesday that he was recently vaccinated against COVID-19 and will encourage his players and staff members to get their shots when they are eligible. Read more here.MARCH 20The Toronto Blue Jays are about to open their second season outside of their home city, but there is some optimism that this will not last through 2021. Per Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic, Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro revealed that the team hopes to seek formal permission within the next few months to begin playing games at Rogers Centre. Read more here.MARCH 19The number of positive COVID-19 cases among MLB players continues to decrease with Opening Day less than two full weeks away. On Friday, the league and the MLB Players Association announced that only one new player tested positive for the coronavirus over the past week. Two new players tested positive the previous week, while five recorded positive COVID-19 test results from Feb. 26 through March 4. Read more here.MARCH 18New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the Mets and the Yankees will be able to begin the season with fans at home games, with capacity being capped at 20% and fans being required to follow safety protocols. Cuomo also said that capacity could increase over the course of the season if the COVID rates continue to improve in New York, with the Yankees expressing optimism "that testing requirements can be eased by mid-May 2021." Both Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are currently being used as COVID-19 vaccination sites, and the Yankees confirmed their stadium will continue to be throughout the season. Fans attending the games will be required to have negative test results for COVID or provide proof that they are vaccinated. Each fan will have her or his temperature taken upon entry, and all attendants above the age of two will be required to wear a mask. Read more here.MARCH 12On Friday, MLB and the MLB Players Association announced that only two new players returned positive COVID-19 results over the latest round of testing, which represents a 0.01% positive rate. To compare, five new players tested positive for the coronavirus the previous week. Read more here.MARCH 11More and more states, cities, and communities are opening outdoor and indoor events to paying spectators despite continued COVID-19 concerns. During a Thursday appearance on ESPN's "First Take," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that the existence of at least three coronavirus vaccines should permit growing numbers of fans to safely attend sporting events over the next several months. Read more here.The 2021 minor league season will see some new and altered rules at the various levels of playing, according to a statement from Major League Baseball. Read more here.MARCH 10The Reds announced that first baseman Joey Votto was placed on the injured list, and while no initial reason was listed, Votto gave clearance to reveal that he tested positive for COVID-19. He’ll be away from the club for a minimum of 10 days under the 2021 health and safety protocols. It’s not clear whether Votto is experiencing symptoms, though the obvious hope is for a swift recovery and return to the team. Read more here.The Texas Rangers plan to welcome fans to Globe Life Field at 100% capacity for Opening Day against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 5, the team announced. The news comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lifted all COVID-19 restrictions, including capacity limits and face mask wearing in the state. This will be the first professional sporting event to operate at full capacity during the pandemic. Read more here.Furthermore, longtime New York Yankees announcer Suzyn Waldman, 74, isn’t a fan of the Rangers’ decision. She said on the New York Yankees’ telecast of a spring training game against Pittsburgh that she was glad she wouldn’t be there. She also seemed disgusted and said “stupid” regarding the decision. Read more here.The Miami Marlins announced a partnership with Florida Pest Control and parent company Rentokil for a drone disinfection program. According to the release, the drone technology will cover open areas with "a fast-acting formula" that "inactivates pathogens within four (4) minutes of the drone application, including coronavirus, norovirus, H1N1, SARS, MRSA, swine flu, E. Coli, Salmonella and more." Read more here.MARCH 9Over the weekend, the Cleveland Indians temporarily isolated third baseman Jose Ramirez and slugger Franmil Reyes away from team activities due to violations of MLB COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Per the Associated Press, the pair rejoined teammates on Tuesday after repeatedly testing negative for the coronavirus and should be available for Wednesday's exhibition matchup against the Los Angeles Angels. Read more here.MARCH 8The Cubs will welcome fans back to Wrigley Field in 2021. They have been approved by the city to fill the stadium to 20% capacity, beginning on Opening Day. The Cubs will require masks for patrons two-years-old and above while hosting pod-style seating and practicing social distancing. On the other side of town, the White Sox will be allowed up to 8,122 patrons per game while practicing social distancing, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Southsiders home opener will be on April 8. That means every team except for the Blue Jays will have at least a limited number of fans in the seats this season, notes Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Read more here.After being halted in 2020 due to the pandemic, Major League Baseball’s revenue-sharing system between bigger-market and smaller-market teams will return in an altered form in 2021, The Athletic’s Evan Drellich reports. Smaller-market clubs will only receive half of the normal amount of funds this year, with the other half coming in 2022. The league itself will be covering the 2021 payments in a loan deal, with the larger-market teams expected to eventually pay MLB back. Read more here.MARCH 7According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez and designated hitter Franmil Reyes violated COVID-19 protocols and are isolating away from the team. Both players are out indefinitely after Reyes got a haircut on Friday and dined with Ramirez at an indoor restaurant later that evening, manager Terry Francona said, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). Read more here.MARCH 6The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and NCAA, unsurprisingly, took a massive hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When the entire country came to a halt about one year ago, Forbes estimated that the four major American sports leagues and the NCAA would lose a combined $5 billion in revenue. According to Forbes' most recent report, the revenue losses for the NCAA and the four major U.S. sports leagues have now hit at least $14.1 billion. Read more here.MARCH 5Per Brian McTaggart of the league's official website, the Houston Astros sent pitchers Luis Garcia, Bryan Abreu and Ronel Blanco away from the team for an unknown amount of time on Thursday due to MLB COVID-19 protocols. As noted by an ESPN update, Houston manager Dusty Baker added on Friday that Cristian Javier, Enoli Paredes, Hector Velazquez, Francis Martes and Pedro Baez are also in the protocols. Read more here.MLB and the MLB Players Association announced via a joint statement that five new players and zero staff members tested positive for COVID-19 over the past week. Three players tested positive the previous week, and 19 players and six staff members have returned positive test results since personnel reported to clubs for spring training activities last month. Sixteen clubs have reported at least one positive COVID-19 test since intake screening began in February. Read more here.The state of California is opening up its outdoor venues, including ballparks, stadiums and amusement parks on MLB Opening Day, exclusively to its residents. That means the A's, Padres, Dodgers, Angels and Giants will be able to host fans in limited capacity this season. Read more here.MARCH 4According to Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker told reporters that he's scratched lefty Max Fried from Friday's appearance because the southpaw was potentially exposed to somebody infected with COVID-19. Read more here.MARCH 3Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that outfielder Tim Locastro tested positive for COVID-19. Lovullo added that Locastro will be out for at least 10 days unless it's confirmed that he registered a so-called "false positive" test result. Read more here.There has been no recent movement in talks between MLB and the MLB Players Association regarding the potential implementation of an expanded postseason or the universal designated hitter for the 2021 season, reports Evan Drellich of the Athletic. There are no current plans to revisit those talks, per Drellich, who characterizes playoff expansion and the National League DH as “dead issues” for next season. The universal DH was included as part of the health and safety protocols last season, but that was not the case this time around. Read more here.MARCH 2There's some uncertainty as to how the 2020 season will affect some players’ number of minor-league options. The reason? The commissioner’s office, the MLB Players Association and MLB teams still need to determine whether last year’s shortened slate of games counts as a full season under the league’s option structure. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explores the situation at greater length. An arbiter is expected to make a final decision sometime this month, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Read more here.It was reported back in January that the Single-A and Double-A seasons would not start on time. The same goes for the minors’ highest level, as the 2021 Triple-A campaign will be delayed “by at least a month, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com writes. It had been scheduled to begin April 6. Read more here.

Here is what the NHL has been doing over the past couple of weeks to prepare for he league's resumption:MARCH 30Vancouver Canucks forward Adam Gaudette will be added to the COVID-19 protocol list after the Canucks announced that the forward tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday. Gaudette was practicing with the team when he received the news and left the ice immediately. Read more here.Players on the COVID list are: Anaheim's Alexander Volkov, Boston's Jake DeBrusk and Sean Kuraly, Los Angeles' Brendan Lemieux, Minnesota' Zach Parise, Montreal's Joel Armia and Eric Staal, NY Rangers' Brett Howden and Vancouver' Adam Gaudette. Read more here.MARCH 29As Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette explained, the Canadiens returned to practice Monday at 6:45 p.m. local time at the Bell Sports Complex ahead of Tuesday's scheduled game against the Edmonton Oilers. Montreal went on pause after forwards Joel Armia and Jesperi Kotkaniemi landed on the league's COVID-19 protocols list back on March 22. One of the two tested positive for a coronavirus variant, while the other was deemed a high-risk close contact. Read more here.MARCH 27Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy announced Saturday that Brad Marchand has been added to the COVID list, according to Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal. The Bruins previously had five players on the COVID list. David Krejci, David Pastrnak and Craig Smith cleared protocols, while Jake DeBrusk and Sean Kuraly remain sidelined. Read more here.MARCH 26The NWHL released information on its COVID testing prior to this weekend’s Isobel Cup Playoffs, and it’s all good news. There were zero positive test results among the PCR tests administered to players and team personnel traveling to Boston, zero positive test results among the rapid tests administered prior to boarding transportation to Boston and zero positive test results from the rapid tests administered upon arrival at Warrior Ice Arena prior to Friday’s semifinals. Read more here.Buffalo interim head coach Don Granato and interim assistant coach Matt Ellis have cleared the league's COVID-19 protocols and will be back with the team for Saturday's game at the Boston Bruins. Granato and Ellis entered the protocols hours before Thursday's matchup at the Pittsburgh Penguins that the Sabres dropped to suffer a 16th consecutive defeat. General manager Kevyn Adams served as Buffalo's head coach for that loss. Read more here.MARCH 25David Cochrane of CBC is reporting that the Canadian government will soon approve a seven-day quarantine period for NHL players traded from American teams to Canadian teams. The change will come with added testing for those athletes, but according to Cochrane, has been approved by every province with NHL teams. Read more here.MARCH 22Less than an hour before the drop of the puck, the NHL announced that the Monday night game between the Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers in Montreal has been postponed after Montreal forwards Joel Armia and Jesperi Kotkaniemi landed on the league's COVID-19 protocols list. No Edmonton players have yet been added to the list, and no makeup date for Monday's matchup was announced in the brief statement. Read more here.MARCH 17Hours before the scheduled start of Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers, the New York Rangers confirmed that head coach David Quinn and the rest of the coaching staff are all out due to the NHL's COVID-19 protocols. Read more here.MARCH 14Although the North Division was intended to be a temporary alignment only for the 2020-21 season, the all-Canadian grouping has been popular north of the border. As a result, there are a number of teams hoping that the division might stay together for a while longer. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that several Canadian teams are hoping to get at least another year of national competition. Read more here.MARCH 11More and more states, cities, and communities are opening outdoor and indoor events to paying spectators despite continued COVID-19 concerns. During a Thursday appearance on ESPN's "First Take," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that the existence of at least three coronavirus vaccines should permit growing numbers of fans to safely attend sporting events over the next several months. Read more here.MARCH 9Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the 2021 NHL Entry Draft is not expected to be pushed back. Though there was considerable support from general managers all across the league, the substantial obstacles will make the league keep the event scheduled for this July. Concerns over service time, draft rights and delaying the top prospects from an October NHL debut were all among the many complexities moving the draft would have created. Read more here.MARCH 6The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and NCAA, unsurprisingly, took a massive hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When the entire country came to a halt about one year ago, Forbes estimated that the four major American sports leagues and the NCAA would lose a combined $5 billion in revenue. According to Forbes' most recent report, the revenue losses for the NCAA and the four major U.S. sports leagues have now hit at least $14.1 billion. Read more here.MARCH 4The Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night welcomed back fans into PPG Paints Arena for the first time since March 8, 2020, for a matchup with the in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately, the Penguins generated some bad press for something that did not even take place on the rink during the team’s 5-2 win. The Penguins shared a photo on the team’s official Twitter feed showcasing fans in the stands during Tuesday’s game. It showed everyone in attendance masked up and following protocols. Some keen internet sleuths, however, noticed something not quite right about the photo. It turns out the image differs from the original Getty Images photograph. A Penguins social media department staffer apparently photoshopped fans — one who wasn’t wearing a mask and two others who were not wearing theirs properly — to make it appear they were complying with the COVID-19 mandate, procedures and protocols. In a statement shared Thursday with the New York Post, the Penguins acknowledged the photoshop snafu. Read more here.The Penguins confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Sidney Crosby has been activated ahead of Thursday's clash with the Philadelphia Flyers, the second of three games between the clubs this week. Crosby and assistant coach Todd Reirden missed Tuesday's contest that Pittsburgh won 5-2 because of coronavirus-related protocols. Read more here.Speaking on TSN’s “Insider Trading,” Pierre LeBrun expressed that there remain worries that the Canadian borders will still be closed in June. By that time, the NHL regular season will be over and the four North Division playoff teams will have battled each other and produced a winner. At that point, the Canadian team can no longer be separated from its American counterparts as it has been during the regular season. As such, the Canadian team might need to find a temporary home in the U.S. Read more here.FEBRUARY 10We might be heading closer to a return for the OHL, as Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reports that a memo was sent to teams on Wednesday with plans for the season. The 24-game season would be held in four hub cities, with a target start date of the April 2-4 weekend. None of that plan has been made official and is still subject to government approval. Read more here.FEBRUARY 3Thanks to more positive COVID-19 test results, the entire NWHL has decided to suspend the remainder of the 2021 season. There had been several outbreaks that left really no choice but to shut things down, an unfortunate result just before the playoffs were going to be aired on NBC Sports in the coming days. Read more here.

The latest from the world of golf since competition resumed:MARCH 25Spectators attending Masters practice rounds and also individuals holding daily tournament tickets and series badges will no longer be required to produce negative COVID-19 tests. Per ESPN's Bob Harig and GolfWeek, Masters ticket holders were notified of this decision via an email. The email added that those with tickets to Berckmans Place, the tournament's high-end hospitality venue, must take at-home coronavirus tests 72-hours before arriving. They will also undergo on-site testing. Read more here.MARCH 11More and more states, cities, and communities are opening outdoor and indoor events to paying spectators despite continued COVID-19 concerns. During a Thursday appearance on ESPN's "First Take," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that the existence of at least three coronavirus vaccines should permit growing numbers of fans to safely attend sporting events over the next several months. Read more here.MARCH 9Like other sports leagues and competitions throughout the United States, the PGA Tour is slowly but surely opening events to percentages of paying spectators as COVID-19 vaccine rollouts continue. One hot-button topic likely to be addressed by league executives and ticket brokers is the idea of so-called coronavirus "vaccine passports" that would allow fans to prove they've received COVID-19 vaccines before purchasing tickets to an event such as a golf tournament. According to Bob Harig of ESPN, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan told reporters on Tuesday he's currently not considering opening tournaments only to those who have been vaccinated. Monahan added that the Tour intends to continue to enforce mask decrees at events and tournaments. Read more here.FEBRUARY 23A limited number of spectators will be able to attend the PGA Championship held at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina in May. Per an official PGA of America statement, attendance for the tournament held May 20-23 will be capped at approximately 10,000 fans per round. This decision was made in coordination with South Carolina state officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Medical University of South Carolina. Read more here.FEBRUARY 9Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington missed the cut at last week's Waste Management Phoenix Open but was looking to get back on track at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. However, the 49-year-old won't be playing in that tournament after he recorded a positive COVID-19 test result. The PGA Tour announced that first alternate Bae Sang-moon will take Harrington's place. Read more here.JANUARY 13Todd Kelly of Golfweek noted as recently as last Friday that Waste Management Phoenix Open chairman Scott Jenkins was committed to welcoming fans to TPC Scottsdale for the 2021 tournament scheduled to take place from Feb. 4-7 despite concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, Jenkins officially capped the attendance. "We remain hopeful we can host an extremely limited number of socially distanced fans at 'The People’s Open,' and in light of the current COVID climate, we have decided to further reduce our attendance to fewer than 5,000 fans each day," Jenkins said in a statement shared by Josh Frigerio of ABC15 Arizona. The statement added that guests are required to wear masks on the course and also undergo temperature checks before they're permitted on the grounds. Read more here.JANUARY 12Masters chairman Fred Ridley explained in a prepared statement that officials are working on protocols "to include a limited number of patrons, provided it can be done safely" for this year's event held from April 5-11. It's hoped that "a small number of patrons" will also be allowed to attend the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on April 3 and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals on April 4. The Masters added that refunds will be offered to ticket holders not selected for this year's event. Read more here.DECEMBER 17PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said he does not think that golfers, caddies or officials will be required to get vaccinated for COVID-19, saying that it will be an individual choice for everyone and that "there's still an awful lot that we need to learn and we need to know." Read more here.NOVEMBER 11There is no guarantee that spectators will be welcomed to the 85th Masters scheduled for next  April. "We would need to see objective data that would give us a high level of confidence that we could bring large numbers of people onto the grounds for April,'' Augusta National and Masters chairman Fred Ridley told reporters on Wednesday, per Bob Harig of ESPN. "I think the vaccine — I don't want to get into medical prognostications — but just logically as a layperson, the vaccine while it will be wonderful when it happens, there are all kinds of issues that point to beyond April (for the vaccine) as the silver bullet. Read more here.SEPTEMBER 16PGA Tour of Australasia Tournaments director Nick Dastey confirmed that the Australian PGA Championship has been postponed until at least February 2021 due to concerns related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Read more here.

What's the latest from the world of NASCAR:MARCH 11More and more states, cities, and communities are opening outdoor and indoor events to paying spectators despite continued COVID-19 concerns. During a Thursday appearance on ESPN's "First Take," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that the existence of at least three coronavirus vaccines should permit growing numbers of fans to safely attend sporting events over the next several months. Read more here.

The NCAA was able complete its college football season. On January 11, the Alabama Crimson Tide won the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. However, college basketball programs experienced issues during the regular season. Teams are competing in a bubble for March Madness. Here is the fallout from the most recent news from the NCAA:MARCH 29Kim Mulkey wants the NCAA to stop COVID-19 testing so that it doesn’t interfere with the Final Four. Mulkey’s Baylor Bears lost 69-67 to UConn in the Elite Eight on Monday. On the same night, Baylor’s men’s basketball team reached the Final Four with a win over Arkansas. Mulkey expressed her opinion after the game. "There are four teams left on the men’s side and the women’s side. They need to dump the COVID testing," she said. Read more here.MARCH 25Late Wednesday night, Chip Brown of 247Sports reported that the Texas Longhorns football program recorded multiple positive COVID-19 test results and planned to cancel at least one practice to conduct additional testing and contact tracing. Via a statement shared by 247Sports, Texas has since paused football-related activities. Brown added that Texas hopes to hold a walkthrough on Monday or Tuesday depending on the results of additional coronavirus testing and subsequent contact tracing and quarantines. It's believed the positive tests are linked with players who traveled to Miami for spring break festivities last week. Read more here.MARCH 24The Big Ten announced on Wednesday that percentages of fans will be permitted to attend remaining 2020-21 games and other events, including those related to springtime football activities. Read more here.UConn Huskies women's basketball will have their legendary head coach back for the biggest games of the season. NBC Connecticut and other outlets have confirmed that coach Geno Auriemma is out of COVID-19 quarantine and linking back up with UConn in San Antonio on Wednesday. Auriemma completed his mandatory isolation period at home and never developed COVID-19 symptoms. He was officially cleared to fly to San Antonio on Wednesday. Read more here.MARCH 23The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football program confirmed it was delaying the start of spring practices due to the discovery of what head coach Geoff Collins referred to as "a small number of positive COVID-19 tests" within the team. Georgia Tech explained in its brief statement that it will commence its practice schedule "as soon as appropriate, guided by direction from medical experts and with the health and safety of its student-athletes and staff as the top priority." Read more here.MARCH 20The NCAA announced on Saturday that the scheduled first-round game between Oregon and VCU was declared a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols. Oregon will advance to the second round. According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, VCU is dealing with three positive cases on the team. The Rams had their first positive test on Wednesday, and then two more on Friday. Read more here.MARCH 19The Virginia Cavaliers, the last team to win an NCAA men's basketball tournament, were the only qualified school missing from Indianapolis ahead of this year's competition after they were removed from last week's ACC Tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test within the program. Per the Associated Press, Virginia has arrived in Indiana after recording negative coronavirus tests through the week. The Cavaliers aren't entirely out of the woods, though, as they must produce two more rounds of negative tests ahead of Saturday's clash with the Ohio Bobcats. Read more here.The official Twitter account of BYU basketball shared an awesome video on Thursday night that showed Cougars players heading in for their coronavirus tests. The players all headed in for their tests pregame intro style, with an announcer and all. Read more here.MARCH 18The NCAA announced that it recorded eight positive COVID-19 test results among Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 personnel ahead of the tournament being held in Indiana. According to Claudette Montana Pattison of SI.com, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told reporters on Wednesday that seven players tested positive for the coronavirus. Thus far, none of the 68 qualified teams have had to withdraw from the tournament, and no games have yet been postponed or converted into forfeits. Read more here.MARCH 17The Tennessee Volunteers paused all football-related activities due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests among players and staff members, contact tracing, and subsequent quarantines. Tennessee is scheduled to begin spring practice on Tuesday and play the spring football game at Neyland Stadium on April 24. Wednesday's developments could, however, alter the program's calendar. Read more here.MARCH 15Geno Auriemma is looking to lead UConn to its 12th NCAA championship since 1995, but the Hall of Fame coach will not be on the sideline for at least the Huskies’ first game. UConn announced on Monday that Auriemma tested positive for COVID-19. It was determined that he did not have close contact with any other member of the team since March 12, and all team personnel tested negative since daily testing began on March 9. Auriemma will have to remain in isolation until March 24, which means he will miss at least one tournament game. Read more here.MARCH 13The Duke men's basketball team withdrew from the ACC Tournament on Thursday after a positive COVID-19 test within the program. However, the Blue Devils' season might not be over just yet. According to ESPN's Rece Davis, Duke could play in the NCAA Tournament if selected as an at-large team or a COVID-replacement squad. Read more here.Loyola Chicago was a surprise Final Four entrant three years ago, guided by team chaplain Sister Jean. For the first time since then, Loyola will return to March Madness, but it remains to be seen if Sister Jean will be joining them. Health and safety protocols put limits on how big the team’s traveling party can be. That has left Sister Jean lobbying school officials to let her attend, and her attendance would require the NCAA’s approval as well. Read more here.MARCH 12The Virginia men's basketball team is out of the ACC Tournament following a positive COVID-19 test within the program, the ACC announced Friday. The Cavaliers were scheduled to play Georgia Tech in the semifinals on Friday after defeating Syracuse in the quarterfinals. Georgia Tech automatically advances to the ACC championship game on Saturday against either Florida State or North Carolina. If the Cavaliers do not suffer a COVID-19 outbreak and have at least five healthy players, they will be eligible to compete in the NCAA Tournament. Read more here.The Kansas men's basketball team has withdrawn from the Big 12 Tournament due to a positive COVID-19 test within the program, the conference announced Friday. The Jayhawks were scheduled to play Texas on Friday night in a Big 12 semifinal game. With Kansas out of the tournament, Texas advances to the Big 12 championship game. It's unclear if the positive COVID-19 test will impact the team's NCAA Tournament eligibility. Read more here.MARCH 11Duke has dropped out of the ACC Tournament following a positive COVID-19 test within the program, almost certainly bringing the Blue Devils' disappointing season to an end. Read more here.More and more states, cities, and communities are opening outdoor and indoor events to paying spectators despite continued COVID-19 concerns. During a Thursday appearance on ESPN's "First Take," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that the existence of at least three coronavirus vaccines should permit growing numbers of fans to safely attend sporting events over the next several months. Read more here.MARCH 10NCAA senior VP of basketball Dan Gavitt said Wednesday that basketball teams would be considered capable of playing a tournament game as long as they have five healthy players. Gavitt said the NCAA simply felt it was fairest that if a team could play, it should be allowed to continue its tournament run. The team would have to run with no bench, and the five starters would have to get through 40 minutes without any rest. Read more here.MARCH 9Following an increase in positive COVID-19 tests, Ohio State has paused all football activities and closed its athletic administrative offices for one week. In a statement, the school said the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution" by athletics director Gene Smith and head team physician Dr. Jim Borchers who saw "the health, safety, and well-being of the student-athletes, coaches, and football and facility support staff as the highest priority." Read more here.The Duke Blue Devils confirmed that they've paused in-person team activities indefinitely because of a COVID-19 cluster that included 10 positive coronavirus cases and forced others to enter quarantine following contact tracing. Read more here.MARCH 8The Associated Press reported late Sunday night that every eligible player must renounce her remaining intercollegiate eligibility and opt in for the 2021 WNBA Draft if she wishes to enter the league this year. According to the WNBA, the draft is set to occur at some point in April. Per Jack Maloney of CBS Sports, there's still no announced date for the player selection process. Typically, players out of college eligibility are automatically entered in the draft. However, the NCAA granted athletes an extra year of eligibility because of hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The AP added that rules for a player entering but then removing herself from draft eligibility this year remain unclear. Players must opt in by emailing the WNBA no later than April 1. Those competing in the Final Four have up to 48 hours after their final games to inform the league of their draft decisions. Read more here.MARCH 6The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and NCAA, unsurprisingly, took a massive hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When the entire country came to a halt about one year ago, Forbes estimated that the four major American sports leagues and the NCAA would lose a combined $5 billion in revenue. According to Forbes' most recent report, the revenue losses for the NCAA and the four major U.S. sports leagues have now hit at least $14.1 billion. Read more here.MARCH 1The NCAA announced on Monday that this year's men's National Invitation Tournament will downsize from 32 teams to 16 and shift to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area so the competition can safely be completed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament begins March 17, with the final set for March 28. The reduced field means that the NCAA has eliminated automatic NIT qualifiers and will instead select all 16 schools as at-large participants. Read more here.The Alabama Crimson Tide are scheduled to host the Mercer Bears at Bryant-Denny Stadium for their 2021 college football home opener on Sept. 11. As of the first day of March, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne is planning to have a full house for that contest. The hope is that Bryant-Denny Stadium will again return to a capacity of 100,077 fans in September. Read more here.FEBRUARY 26Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced on Friday that the city will relax COVID-19 restrictions currently placed on bars and restaurants starting next week ahead of the Big Ten and NCAA men's basketball tournaments. Read more here.FEBRUARY 25ESPN's Jeff Borzello reports that the NCAA will not have replacement teams on standby awaiting to fill in for a school that is forced out of the tournament because of COVID-19. Any needed replacement teams will only be announced within 48 hours of the release of the tournament field on March 14. Eligible teams are to notify the selection committee by the night of March 13 if they're unable to safely meet COVID-19 protocols by the tournament's opening round. No replacement teams will be added to the field once the tournament begins on March 18. A school unable to compete on an announced date will forfeit that game. Read more here.FEBRUARY 24The Texas Longhorns were limited to a 25 percent fan capacity at home games in Austin last football season, but they’re aiming for 100 percent this fall. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte tweeted in response to a fan inquiry on Wednesday. The fan asked whether Texas was planning on 100 percent fan capacity for football games in the fall, assuming the majority of the country is vaccinated by then. Read more here.FEBRUARY 19The NCAA announced Friday that it will allow a limited number of fans to attend the 2021 men's NCAA Tournament, better known as March Madness. Read more here.FEBRUARY 18The Ivy League will go an entire year without holding sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, the Ivy League confirmed that it will not conduct spring seasons. Read more here.FEBRUARY 11For the second consecutive year, no team will win the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Per an official statement shared by Jeff Borzello of ESPN, it's been announced that the CIT won't take place this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.

Here is what has happened most recently in the world of tennis:MARCH 19Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are now among the big names that won't be participating in the Miami Open set that runs through April 4 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Djokovic announced Friday afternoon that he's skipping the tournament due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.MARCH 11More and more states, cities, and communities are opening outdoor and indoor events to paying spectators despite continued COVID-19 concerns. During a Thursday appearance on ESPN's "First Take," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that the existence of at least three coronavirus vaccines should permit growing numbers of fans to safely attend sporting events over the next several months. Read more here.FEBRUARY 17On Wednesday, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi told ESPN that the tour will explore all options to continue hosting events globally amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.FEBRUARY 16Novak Djokovic has made it clear he's unhappy with the current quarantine protocol in place for international tournaments, suggesting that the ATP may be better off adopting a bubble strategy similar to what the NBA did last season. Read more here.

Pro wrestling news over the past few weeks:JANUARY 11WWE champion Drew McIntyre tested positive for COVID-19 and is now in quarantine. As Joseph Currier of the Wrestling Observer noted, this is the first time that WWE confirmed the identity of a roster member who returned a positive coronavirus test since the start of the pandemic. According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com, multiple wrestling brands that have national television deals are currently dealing with COVID-19 issues. Read more here.SEPTEMER 24Back in March, Roman Reigns decided to opt out of WrestleMania 36 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During an appearance on "WWE After the Bell" with "SmackDown" announcer Corey Graves, Reigns explained his choice, saying that it was entirely based on keeping his family safe. Read more here.SEPTEMBER 2Legendary wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shared on Instagram that he, his wife, and his two baby daughters all tested positive for the coronavirus. The Rock says they got the virus from close family friends. He said overcoming the virus was harder than recovering from injuries he’s dealt with in the past. Read more here.

What's new in boxing:OCTOBER 8The unified welterweight title fight between champion Errol Spence Jr. and challenger Danny Garcia has been moved to Dec. 5 at AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas. The bout was originally planned for Nov. 21 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, but promoters had placed holds on other venues with the hope that spectators could attend despite concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Seats for the upcoming boxing event will be sold in "pods" to allow for social distancing. Attendees will be required to wear masks or other face coverings when not actively eating or drinking. Read more here.

The latest from the IOC:FEBRUARY 8The Olympics remain set to occur from July 23 through Aug. 8 as of Monday, and President Joe Biden is hopeful they will take place as long as all involved follow health and safety guidelines. "I’ve spoken with the prime minister of Japan, he’s working very hard to be in a position to safely open the Games, to have the Games, and I think that has to be based on science, whether or not it is safe for that to occur," President Biden told Jim Gray during halftime of the Westwood One Super Bowl LV broadcast, per Reuters. The International Olympic Committee is considering holding the Games without spectators, but no final decision has been made. It's likely all athletes and coaches would have to quarantine in Japan before competitions begin. Read more here.OCTOBER 3With the NBA expecting the 2020-21 season to start this upcoming January at the earliest, the league’s players would likely not participate in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, per commissioner Adam Silver. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the 2020 Olympics to be postponed, thus casting doubt on NBA players being able to participate. Read more here.SEPTEMBER 8Japanese Games Minister Seiko Hashimoto voiced a sense of urgency about the Olympics happening next year, saying that they should not be postponed again "at any cost." Read more here.Olympic great Kerri Walsh Jennings is drawing attention for two recent posts on Instagram. The first post advocated for people to get back to life and improve their health to best combat the virus. The part of her post that irritated many readers was when she said she went shopping without a mask. After receiving many complaints about her post, Walsh Jennings posted on the subject a day later. In the second post, Walsh Jennings posted an image saying she was looking for a “truce.” Read more here.SEPTEMBER 7Senior IOC official John Coates said the 2021 Olympics "will take place with or without COVID." Read more here.AUGUST 25Eight-time Olympic gold medalist and world-record sprinter Usain Bolt celebrated his 34th birthday, which occurred on Aug. 21, with a party that reportedly included visitors not wearing masks despite concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. Jamaica's health ministry confirmed that the charismatic multi-sport athlete tested positive for COVID-19. Read more here.JULY 21The Kyodo news agency released a poll last week that showed just how little support the Olympics currently have in Japan, with only 23.9% of Japanese citizens polled supporting the Olympics being in Tokyo next summer. Meanwhile, 36.4% said they believed the Olympics need to be delayed again, and 34% said they would support the event being canceled altogether. Read more here.JULY 11Team USA basketball coach Gregg Popovich had some encouraging words about the Olympics taking place next summer. Per the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds, Pop cited Japan's successful response to the pandemic for why he's optimistic the Olympics can take place in Tokyo in 2021. Read more here.JUNE 30The International Olympic Committee says it will provide added support services to athletes worldwide through Athlete365, as an added layer to help them with the challenges that have arisen amid the coronavirus pandemic and the postponement of this year's games.MAY 20IOC president Thomas Bach said, “You cannot have the athletes being in uncertainty,” according to the BBC.APRIL 28Tokyo Games president Yoshiro Mori said these Olympics would be canceled entirely if they can’t take place on the new date. Read more here.MARCH 29The 2020 Summer Games were set to take place in Tokyo July 24 through Aug. 9 but now are tentatively scheduled for July 23 through Aug. 8, 2021. The sad truth is that no one knows what the world will look like a year from now and whether the games can take place then either. Read more here.

MLS and NWSL most recent developments:MARCH 11More and more states, cities, and communities are opening outdoor and indoor events to paying spectators despite continued COVID-19 concerns. During a Thursday appearance on ESPN's "First Take," National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci explained that the existence of at least three coronavirus vaccines should permit growing numbers of fans to safely attend sporting events over the next several months. Read more here.FEBRUARY 25Per the Associated Press (h/t NBA.com), Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Thursday that large indoor and outdoor venues, such as sports arenas and ballparks, can welcome fans up to 12% of their capacities beginning March 22. According to estimates shared by Logan Mullen of NESN, the New England Revolution can have 7,905 fans when the Major League Soccer campaign begins in April. Read more here.FEBRUARY 22New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced during a Monday appearance on radio station WFAN that sports venues with capacities over 5,000 spectators can welcome small percentages of fans to events beginning March 1. Indoor venues are permitted 10% of their capacities, while outdoor arenas can allow 15%. The New York Red Bulls indicated they will welcome supporters for the start of the upcoming Major League Soccer campaign. Read more here.FEBRUARY 17United States Women's National Team superstar Alex Morgan admitted last week that she "was fairly sick" after she, along with daughter Charlie and husband Servando Carrasco, contracted COVID-19 over the holidays. Per Jeff Carlisle of ESPN, U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski told reporters on Wednesday that Morgan is approaching full fitness ahead of Thursday's SheBelieves Cup opener versus rivals Canada. Read more here.

Most recent news from international soccer circles:MARCH 18Inter Milan has paused all team activities and postponed an upcoming match against Sassuolo, which was scheduled to be played Saturday, following a COVID-19 outbreak. An official announcement from the club identified Stefan de Vrij and Matias Vecino as testing positive, joining goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and defender Danilo D'Ambrosioand, whose positive results were announced on Wednesday. The team said that the four are quarantined in their homes. Read more here.MARCH 2Brazilian soccer living legend Pele announced via social media on Tuesday that he has received what the Associated Press called his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Pele has been staying in Guaruja since the pandemic first struck Brazil in 2020, but it's unclear where he received the shot. Read more here.FEBRUARY 22Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that sporting events could be opened to spectators on May 17 barring a spike in coronavirus cases and/or infection rates. Clubs will be able to permit either 10,000 fans or 25% of a venue's capacity, whichever is the lowest figure. Assuming venues can open to customers on May 17, Premier League clubs will welcome supporters for the final day of the season on May 23. This could become a controversial topic, however, as home teams either fighting to avoid relegation or competing for European places in the table will receive one-off morale boosts not enjoyed by most clubs throughout the campaign. Read more here.FEBRUARY 15Martyn Ziegler of The Times reported on Monday that the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals are listed as potential test events for permitting socially distanced spectators to return to sporting events in the spring and summer months. Tottenham Hotspur will face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on April 25, while the FA Cup final is set for May 15. Read more here.FEBRUARY 12United States Women's National Team superstar Alex Morgan was set to participate in a January training camp alongside her American teammates coming off a stint with FA Women's Super League side Tottenham Hotspur. However, the 31-year-old generated headlines on Jan. 5 when she confirmed that she, her daughter Charlie and husband Servando contracted COVID-19 over the holidays. Morgan addressed her bout with the coronavirus while speaking with reporters. "I was fairly sick," Morgan explained, per ESPN. "Me and my whole family got it — Servando and Charlie — so with that said, we were together for 10, 12, 14 days and kind of just recovering, sleeping as much as we could. I was fighting off a little bit of a fever for quite a few days but as I got back and kind of took the right steps to get my body back into shape, I started to feel really good after about three weeks or so but it did take a little bit, and it took a lot of patience as well, on my end." Read more here.FEBRUARY 10Jurgen Klopp, the popular manager of reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, missed his mother's funeral because of travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. As noted by Sky Sports and other outlets, Klopp's mother Elisabeth recently died at the age of 81. The funeral was held in Germany on Tuesday, but Klopp remained in England due to his inability to enter Germany for the remembrance. Read more here.FEBRUARY 9U.S. Soccer announced that the men's squad will play a friendly against Northern Ireland in Belfast on March 28. The American men are still searching for a second opponent to face in Europe during that FIFA window. Fans won't be permitted to attend at least the Northern Ireland match due to the UEFA return to play protocol. U.S. players, coaches and other personnel will operate in what's being called a "controlled" environment to prevent potential COVID-19 infections and positive tests. All individuals will be tested upon arrival and at least every two days during the camp. Full team training sessions will only start after testing results are confirmed. Read more here.FEBRUARY 4The German Ministry of the Interior confirmed that a Feb. 16 fixture between Liverpool and Bundesliga side RB Leipzig won't occur at Leipzig's stadium after flights from the United Kingdom and other countries deemed "high-risk" were banned from entering Germany in an attempt to thwart the spread of COVID-19 variants. With Liverpool reportedly unwilling to swap matches and relinquish the right to host the second leg next month, Leipzig have until the end of Monday to propose an alternative, such as playing in a neutral country, to UEFA. Both legs must be completed by April 2, and Leipzig could suffer a 3-0 forfeit for Feb. 16 if they fail to present an alternative to UEFA. Per Champions League regulations, the home team must find other arrangements in such circumstances. Read more here.JANUARY 28Cristiano Ronaldo is currently under investigation from Italian police for potentially violating the country's COVID-19 travel restrictions. The superstar striker allegedly traveled between the Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta regions of Italy after a social media post surfaced that appeared to show him riding a snowmobile at a resort in Valle d'Aosta with his partner Georgina Rodriguez. The post has been deleted, but the damage may have already been done. Ronaldo and Rodriguez both live in the Piedmont region, and travel between the two areas is currently prohibited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For now, neither Ronaldo nor Rodriguez has been fined. Read more here.JANUARY 27As noted by Reuters (h/t ESPN), Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently said that UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin was considering holding the European Championship that was postponed from last summer to 2021 in one country due to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Ceferin announced on Wednesday that he remains committed to hosting the 24-nation tournament in 12 cities as scheduled. Read more here.JANUARY 22Real Madrid confirmed manager Zinedine Zidane tested positive for COVID-19. Per ESPN's Adriana Garcia, assistant coach David Bettoni told reporters that Zidane is "absolutely fine," but the club did not say if Zidane is asymptomatic. Zidane will miss Saturday's La Liga match at Alaves while isolating away from team activities. AS is reporting that he will select the team and tactics used at Alaves. Read more here.JANUARY 15Reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain confirmed on Friday that new manager Mauricio Pochettino tested positive for COVID-19. Read more here.JANUARY 7Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is currently isolating away from the Spanish giants after he came in direct contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Zidane missed a Thursday practice session and is awaiting the results of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and an antigen test. He previously tested negative in a rapid test but wasn't cleared to return to club activities because of his direct contact. Read more here.JANUARY 4Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and, later, England Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new national restrictions on Monday due to rising coronavirus cases in those countries. As Sky Sports explained, however, the English Premier League and other elite sports competitions, such as the rugby Gallagher Premiership, will be permitted to continue. Similar to major North American sports leagues, the English top-flight utilizes strict COVID-19 testing to prevent outbreaks among athletes and other personnel. Read more here.

WNBA's latest developments:MARCH 8The Associated Press reported late Sunday night that every eligible player must renounce her remaining intercollegiate eligibility and opt in for the 2021 WNBA Draft if she wishes to enter the league this year. According to the WNBA, the draft is set to occur at some point in April. Per Jack Maloney of CBS Sports, there's still no announced date for the player selection process. Typically, players out of college eligibility are automatically entered in the draft. However, the NCAA granted athletes an extra year of eligibility because of hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The AP added that rules for a player entering but then removing herself from draft eligibility this year remain unclear. Players must opt in by emailing the WNBA no later than April 1. Those competing in the Final Four have up to 48 hours after their final games to inform the league of their draft decisions. Read more here.OCTOBER 7The WNBA was able to complete its season, with the Breanna Stewart-led Seattle Storm beating the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals. Read more here.

esports carries on:MAY 19Esports’ popularity has experienced an uptick on both sides of the remote, as CNBC’s Bob Woods reported on May 19 that streaming website Twitch experienced a “23% surge in viewership in March,” coinciding with the time frame when much of the country started to stay home.MAY 4While the pandemic is having a negative effect on the sports world, it’s been business as usual for esports and gaming. Participants can easily play while maintaining social distancing guidelines since gaming takes place online. In fact, esports has been flourishing. Texas A&M head esports coach Travis Yang told KSAT.com that there has been a “noticeable increase” in gamers and tournaments as people were forced to stay at home.

Most recent developments among other sports:AUGUST 21After hoping to allow a decreased percentage of spectators to the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced on Friday afternoon that no fans will be welcomed to the event postponed from May 2 to Sept. 5 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here.AUGUST 4Indianapolis Motor Speedway has once again reversed course and declared that the Indianapolis 500 held on Aug. 23 will occur without fans in the stands due to the worsening coronavirus pandemic. Read more here.JULY 1The 2020 Mexico City Marathon announced that the race scheduled for Aug. 30 is canceled. According to Mexico News Daily, the event drew roughly 30,000 runners last year. Read more here.JUNE 26The Indianapolis 500, set for Aug. 23, became the latest American sporting event to welcome fans amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles confirmed the news, stating, "We will be limiting attendance to approximately 50 percent of venue capacity." Per Shanna McCarriston of CBS Sports, Indianapolis Motor Speedway carries a capacity of around 235,000. The official announcement also explained that individuals who do not wish to attend, such as those considered high-risk, will receive credits. Safety items such as masks and hand sanitizer will be distributed to all race attendees. Read more here.JUNE 24The world's largest marathon in New York City has officially been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Jackie Salo of the New York Post. The five-borough race, which hosts more than 50,000 runners from across the globe, would've celebrated its 50th anniversary on Nov. 1. It is now set to take place on Nov. 7, 2021. Read more here.JUNE 23The Haspa Marathon Hamburg, which was postponed from April, is set to occur on Sept. 13. The race is expecting 10,000 to 14,000 runners. However, Americans might not be among thm. Action Network's Darren Rovell reported that runners from "higher-risk COVID areas" will not be allowed to participate. A higher-risk area could include the United States. Read more here.JUNE 13Approximately 20,000 rugby fans in New Zealand packed the stands to watch the Otago Highlanders take on the Waikato Chiefs in the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition. New Zealand lifted nearly all of its coronavirus restrictions earlier in the week, as no new cases have been reported for more than 20 days and the death toll is at just 22 in the country since the pandemic started. Read more here.MAY 28The Boston Marathon, originally scheduled for April 20 but postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic, was canceled and converted into a virtual experience. It's the first time in 124 years the Marathon won't run. Read more here.