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On Saturday afternoon President Trump met with heads of all the major league sports commissioners via teleconference to provide an update on where the country currently is at with the pandemic.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter Trump told the commissioners that he believes the NFL season will start on time in September and that he hopes fans will also be allowed to crowd stadiums in August/September.
Donald Trump also told commissioners that he hopes to have fans back in stadiums and arenas by August and September, sources said, though it is currently unclear if medical experts find that to be a realistic timeline amid the current coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/EFqDryGlTQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 4, 2020
Donald Trump also told commissioners that he hopes to have fans back in stadiums and arenas by August and September, sources said, though it is currently unclear if medical experts find that to be a realistic timeline amid the current coronavirus pandemic. https://t.co/EFqDryGlTQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 4, 2020
Trump reportedly broached the idea of the sports leagues to lobby for tax credits for fans.
Via ESPN
Trump also raised the idea of the leagues working together to lobby for tax credits that used to exists for fans, such as the ability to deduct concessions and tickets from taxes, sources said. That would be a way for leagues to jumpstart fans ability to return to stadium in a difficult economy.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was not as optimistic as Trump about the return of the NFL with fans in September.
On his daily press briefing just now @GavinNewsom tells me flatly re #NFL starting season on time w/fans in stands in the CA stadiums: "I’m not anticipating that happening in this state." @AdamSchefter https://t.co/ejqC423Vtk
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) April 4, 2020
More from @GavinNewsom on #NFL reopening on time as Trump urges: CA would not feel comfortable reopening stadiums until we "have the appropriate community surveillance and testing" to identify who's infected and "that’s not something I anticipate happening in the next few months" https://t.co/t1zoq2G2kz
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) April 4, 2020