The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
Florida Atlantic postponed its football opener Saturday at Georgia Southern because of a coronavirus outbreak.
The two schools hope to reschedule, FAU said Friday.
Eleven people in the FAU program tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week. The school declined to specify how many of the positive tests involved players, coaches or staff.
FAU’s first two games were canceled months ago because of the pandemic.
Southeastern Conference teams can elect to cancel or reschedule games if they either don’t have 53 scholarship players available or can’t meet some position minimums.
The league released its policy Friday for dealing with potential COVID-19 outbreaks and cancellations of games.
SEC teams are scheduled to play 10 league games starting Sept. 26.
They can opt out if they don’t meet certain position minimums for available scholarship players, including seven offensive linemen, with one center, one quarterback and four defensive linemen.
A school could opt to play with fewer players or position players available. Otherwise, Commissioner Greg Sankey can approve a rescheduling or having the game declared a no-contest.
A school can request to have a game rescheduled or considered nonconference if it determines there are “compelling reasons why it cannot begin a game regardless of the scholarship and position minimums.”
Sankey would have the final say in whether to reschedule that game or declare it a no contest.
Irish Rugby Football Union chief executive Philip Browne says net losses for 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic are projected to be more than 30 million euros ($35 million).
Browne spoke to a legislative committee about the impact of the pandemic on team sports.
He says until they can admit spectators “in meaningful numbers … the whole rugby infrastructure built over the last 150 years is under threat.”
Browne warned that under current projections “the very existence of professional rugby” in Ireland will be under threat next year.
The Irish government this week said clubs can let 200 fans attend matches in stadiums with capacities of more than 5,000.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway will open to fans for the first time in 2020 for the IndyCar doubleheader Oct. 3-4.
The speedway will allow up to 10,000 fans each of the three days of track activity. The facility holds more than 300,000 spectators and was closed for the NASCAR and IndyCar doubleheader in July, as well as the Indianapolis 500 in August.
Spectators who attend in October will be split into two groups — 5,000 fans seated in Turn 1 and 5,000 in Turn 4.
FIBA is moving to “bubbles” for upcoming EuroBasket qualifiers and other continental cup tournaments.
The governing body of international basketball says the November and February qualifiers “should be conducted in ‘bubbles’ instead of home and away games.”
The FIBA executive committee took into consideration the “health and safety of players, coaches and officials” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Each regional bubble will consist of four or eight teams. Host cities will be announced later.
The international basketball calendar has been re-arranged because of the pandemic. The EuroBasket final tournament was postponed one year and is now scheduled for September 2022.
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