The NFL preseason is officially trimmed to two games. Week one and week four of the preseason were removed, driven by a desire to give teams more on-field practice time as well as limit the amount of people traveling. The league had already planned to decrease the preseason to three games starting in 2021.

While the league is making adjustments for play during the pandemic, players are reportedly split in how they’re handling the virus. Some have raised concerns about playing during the outbreak, and others are ignoring medical experts and practicing with teammates.

Players with concerns have cited medical conditions like high body mass index, asthma, and sleep apnea that would put them at higher risk if infected with the coronavirus. Other players, including quarterbacks Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and Cam Newton, have ignored the advice of the NFLPA medical officer and are practicing with teammates.

As the NFL and its players work to develop protocols, the league is also considering having fans sign liability waivers if they attend games. The move would be meant to shield teams from COVID-19 lawsuits and be part of recommended best practices for re-opening stadiums. However, those waivers wouldn’t be bulletproof, according to a lawyer who has sued MLB on behalf of fans hit by foul balls.

The number of fans allowed in stadiums will depend mainly on local jurisdictions, which will likely remain in flux as coronavirus cases surge across the country. Other recommendations by the NFL could be for venues to go cashless – already a pre-pandemic trend – prepackaged concession foods, and required masks.

The Buffalo Bills won’t have to worry about the crowds at the moment. New York state guidelines preclude fans from Bills games in Phase 4. Those conditions could change.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told U.S. Senators there needs to be a uniform law to regulate how NIL impacts collegiate athletics. 

Sankey was part of a panel that addressed the Senate Commerce Committee as it reviewed the NCAA Board of Governors’ report on student-athlete compensation. The panel also included Mississippi Athletic Director Keith Carter and Ohio State’s President Emeritus Michael Drake. “Knowing the competition within my 11 states, I can foresee quickly the other 10 one-upping each other,” Sankey said. “And I think that’s a problem for fair and equitable competition.”

Schools Ponder Attendance

As COVID-19 cases surge, college football programs that typically host more than 100,000 fans have to decide who can go to games.

Schools like Iowa had thought full stadiums were likely until nine of its players tested positive – the school then halted ticket sales and started designing limited capacity plans. 

For Ole Miss, a 50% guideline poses a problem as just season ticket members and the normal student attendance would fill up 60% of the 64,000-seat stadium. Mississippi’s current guidance is 25% capacity, so the plan is to allow season-ticket holders on a loyalty point system based on donations, longevity, and seats purchased.

If schools are limited in attendance, there instead could be a focus on filling suites and luxury boxes that could drive more revenue than the rest of the stadium.

The idea of the “mega polling sites” to accommodate the expected large in-person voting turnout this fall during the pandemic now can count LeBron James as a supporter.

James and his new More Than A Vote group are supporting the idea to help maximize Black turnout in November. James launched the effort last month alongside athletes like Trae Young and Skylar Diggins-Smith as well as entertainers like Kevin Hart.

Several NBA arenas are in line to host voting sites, including the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena and the Detroit Pistons’ Little Caesars Arena. While Kentucky used large facilities for the state’s primary in June, some voting rights activists were critical of limiting the state’s two largest counties to the Exposition Center in Louisville and Kentucky’s football stadium in Lexington, fearing it would harm minority turnout.

More Than a Vote’s support came as the Pistons announced their plan to work with the Michigan Secretary of State’s office on multiple initiatives to educate voters and increase voter turnout this fall. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said it’s a “blueprint for other teams and leagues seeking to advance our common goal of protecting access to the vote for all.”

Benson, Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce and former New York Knicks coach David Fizdale will advise other franchises and arena managers who will look to replicate that strategy. The Milwaukee Bucks have confirmed they’re willing to host a voting site. NFL executive Scott Pioli also presented a plan to the National Association of Secretaries of State to use pro and college venues as voting centers.

The Orlando bubble is set to cost the NBA more than $150 million. The costs include housing the 22 teams and support staff at three resorts, as well as the rental of the seven practice courts and three arenas. The league also is providing all the meals, daily coronavirus testing, medical support, transportation, and entertainment for the more than 1,500 people who will be in the bubble at its peak.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said it’s important the league shoulders the cost, but “frankly, it’s not all that economical for us to play on this campus. It’s enormously expensive.” The NBA is projected to lose $1 billion even before the costs of Orlando were figured in, a number heavily driven by lost ticket revenue. However, the extra games will help the NBA retain millions in TV revenue, including approximately $900 million from the playoffs.