Rejoice, sports fans, their return to California may not be far off. Well, maybe.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state is eyeing the first week of June to begin to allow live pro sporting events, as well as “a number of other sectors” of the economy, “if we hold these trend lines.” But upon being asked for more details, Newsom clarified that discussions were ongoing and didn’t seem to think he had said anything revelatory about the June timeline.
Whenever they are allowed resume — let’s take Newsom’s word of the first week of June — they will come with “deep stipulations” and “very prescriptive conditions,” Newsom said, starting with no spectators.
“In terms of protecting not only the players but more broadly their support staff,” Newsom said. “And again, we’re not talking about fans in this respect.”
California could continue to implement a local approach to sports, as it has done in other reopening other sectors. Newsom said the state was working with county health directors, state officials and representatives from all major sports leagues, as well as consulting with California’s pact of western-state governors.
“We’re just talking about the opportunity … to begin the process of organizing around what that may or may not look like,” Newsom said.
The Bay Area’s first-in-the-nation stay-at-home order came exactly a week before the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s were scheduled to open the 2020 Major League Baseball season, and this announcement comes on the heels of the NFL releasing its preseason schedule for the upcoming fall.
On the newly released preseason schedule, the 49ers’ first game in California is slated for Levi’s Stadium on Aug. 21 — the Raiders’ first return to the Bay Area since their ongoing move to Las Vegas.
MLB teams have now missed nearly two months of the regular season. The league, team owners and the players association have been in negotiations about resuming play, according to media reports, with a potential Opening Day slated around July 4.
