Galleries
FILE - In this Nov. 17, 2012, file photo, any empty seats leaves this Arizona State fan all alone in the upper deck during an NCAA college football game against Washington State, in Tempe, Ariz. As lock-downs are lifted, restrictions on social gatherings eased and life begins to resemble some sense, sports are finally starting to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic. Many college and pro sports teams already were dealing with declining ticket sales. The improved at-home experience, the emergence of wide-spread legalized betting and the changing social makeup of fan bases have been catalysts, while dynamic pricing, increases in parking and concession prices and a push toward luxury seating have exacerbated the problem.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
Washington State-Arizona State 11/17/2012
1 photos
FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2017, file photo, baseball fans cheer from the right field bleacher seats after a rain delay in a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers in New York. The crippling grip the coronavirus pandemic has had on the sports world has forced universities, leagues and franchises to evaluate how they might someday welcome back fans. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)
Tigers at Yankees 8/2/2017
1 photos
FILE - In this Jan. 25 2020, file photo, Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner calls a play in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State, in Atlanta. In the wake of nationwide protests over police brutality, Georgia Tech wants to make sure its athletes take time to vote in November. The school said Thursday, June 4, 2020, that nine teams will cancel all mandatory activities on the Nov. 3 to recognize the importance of casting a ballot. Pastner said George Floyd’s death has given everyone a chance to evaluate “the way we treat each other as human beings and what we can and should do to back up our words.”(AP Photo/Danny Karnik, File)
North Carolina Tar Heels at North Carolina State Wolfpack 1/26/2020
1 photos
FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2019, file photo, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) delivers a touchdown pass to running back Ezekiel Elliott during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Arlington, Texas. The two biggest losses in free agency for the Dallas Cowboys were at cornerback and defensive end, so it's reasonable to list those as the club's top two priorities going into the draft. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins, File)
Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys 12/29/2019
1 photos
FILE - In this April 29, 2018 file photo taken with a fisheye lens, a flag flies at the Banc of California Stadium prior to an MLS soccer game between Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders in Los Angeles. Los Angeles FC will seek a new name for its 2-year-old Banc of California Stadium after a restructuring of the bank's partnership with the Major League Soccer club. LAFC announced Tuesday, May 26, 2020 that Banc of California will eventually give up its naming rights to the sleek new stadium just south of downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, file)
Seattle Sounders vs Los Angeles FC 4/29/2018
1 photos
The stands are empty during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Cologne and RB Leipzig, in Cologne, Germany, Monday, June 1, 2020. Because of the coronavirus outbreak all soccer matches of the German Bundesliga take place without spectators. (Ina Fassbender/Pool via AP)
RB Leipzig vs 1. FC Cologne 6/1/2020
1 photos
FILE - In this March 7, 2020, file photo, people sit surrounded by empty seats as they wait for the start of the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England. The crippling grip the coronavirus pandemic has had on the sports world has forced universities, leagues and franchises to evaluate how they might someday welcome back fans. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)
AFC Bournemouth vs Liverpool FC 3/7/2020
1 photos
FILE - In this July 17, 2014, file photo, a food concession is shown inside the Levi's 501 Club on the opening day of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. It used to be that empty seats caused palpitations in team owners and college administrators relying on ticket sales and concessions to beef up the profit margins. Now, those empty seats – and short lines and clear concourses – will be the norm for a while as sports grapples with social distancing requirements. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
49ers-Stadium Opening
1 photos
FILE - In this June 12, 2012, file photo, fans line up in front of Chesapeake Arena before Game 1 of the NBA finals basketball series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat, in Oklahoma City. It used to be that empty seats caused palpitations in team owners and college administrators relying on ticket sales and concessions to beef up the profit margins. Now, those empty seats – and short lines and clear concourses – will be the norm for a while as sports grapples with social distancing requirements. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
HEAT-THUNDER
1 photos
West Virginia quarterback Will Grier (7) hands off the football to running back Leddie Brown (4) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kansas in Morgantown, W. Va., Saturday Oct. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Craig Hudson)
Kansas at West Virginia 10/6/2018
24 photos
In this aerial image soccer players of both teams play the game in front of empty spectator stands during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The German Bundesliga is the world's first major soccer league to resume after a two-month suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Marcel Kusch/DPA via AP, Pool)
FC Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund 5/26/2020
1 photos
FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2019, file photo, New Jersey Devils right wing Kurtis Gabriel works out prior to an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Newark, N.J. The NHL is hoping to move to Phase 2 of its return-to-play protocol, including the opening of practice facilities and allowing small group workouts, early next month. The league, which was forced to pause its season on March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, released a 22-page memo detailing the plan Monday, May 25, 2020. The document stresses there's no exact date for the start of Phase 2 or a timetable for how long it will last. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Buffalo Sabres at New Jersey Devils 2/17/2019
1 photos
FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, file photo, Penn State offensive lineman Will Fries (71) plays against Washington during the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game, in Glendale, Ariz. These times amid the coronavirus pandemic have brought an extra level of anxiety for current college players hoping for a stellar season or at least one that will raise their profile with NFL scouts. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)
Washington at Penn State 12/30/2017
1 photos
FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2018 file photo Florida State head coach Willie Taggart, center, celebrates a win with his team at the end of an NCAA college football game against Northern Illinois in Tallahassee Fla. Decades of Florida State football dominance is displayed on the walls just outside of Taggart’s office. Trophies and plaques commemorate All-America players and championship teams. Lots of them. Taggart takes responsibility for last year’s 5-7 finish, but remains confident in his plan to get Florida State back on track because it has worked before. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon, file)
Northern Illinois at Florida State 9/22/2018
3 photos
FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2019, file photo, Akron's Tyler Cheese is defended by West Virginia's Taz Sherman during an NCAA college basketball game in Morgantown, W.Va. Akron is dropping men’s golf and cross country and women’s tennis in cost-cutting moves due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The school said the reduction will take effect at the end of the 2019-20 academic year. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten, File)
Akron Zips at West Virginia Mountaineers 11/8/2019
1 photos