Tracking the sports schedule: Latest on what's returning and when

This article will be updated regularly and is available for free to non-subscribers as a public service. Please consider subscribing to the Star Tribune.

With large gatherings banned to slow the spread of the coronavirus, sports were shut down across the world in mid-March.

But nearly ever major sport has returned, including Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA, NHL, WNBA, PGA Tour, MLS and auto racing.

MLB and the MLB Players Association reached an agreement for a 60-game regular season schedule that experienced significant game postponements due to positive tests around the league, but started the postseason.

The NBA's board of governors and players finalized their return to action in Orlando. The league returned with 22 teams playing eight final regular season games before a full playoff schedule. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat to win the NBA Finals.

The WNBA returned to regular season and playoff action in Bradenton, Fla and the Seattle Storm won the WNBA title.

The NHL and NHLPA agreed to a new four-year collective bargaining agreement and the league completed postseason play in Canada with the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup.

The "MLS is Back" Tournament was played in Orlando and the league has restarted their regular season at local stadiums.

The NFL kicked off regular season play and completed training camps around the league, but canceled its preseason schedule.

The NCAA released guidelines for fall sports, but have canceled all Division I, Division II and Division III fall championships.

The Big 12, SEC and ACC are playing fall sports, including football. The Big Ten and Pac 12 initially postponed fall sports, but the Big Ten announced they will play an eight week football season starting in late October and the Pac 12 announced they will play a seven week schedule starting on Nov. 6.

Here is the latest on on the sports restart:

MLB

Targeted return date: Play has resumed
Spring training was suspended on March 12, and Opening Day, scheduled for March 26, was postponed. The 2020 season started in July, and the league announced that the playoffs will feature a bubble and the World Series will take place at the Texas Rangers' new ballpark in Arlington, Texas.

Fans returned to games for the first time since spring training when the Braves and Dodgers started the NLCS in Arlington this week.

The Twins began the regular season with a 10-5 win over the White Sox in Chicago. Their home opener was at Target Field against St. Louis and they finished their season with a home playoff series loss to the Houston Astros after winning a second consecutive American League Central title.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame canceled the induction ceremony for the Class of 2020 -- which featured Derek Jeter, Marvin Miller, Ted Simmons and Larry Walker -- and will instead have their inductions at the 2021 Hall of Fame Weekend.

American Association

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

The St. Paul Saints announced that the American Association postponed the start of its season, which was scheduled to begin on May 19.

The Saints returned to play on July 3 in Sioux Falls, S.D., one of three hub cities that were hosting games for the league. The team returned to CHS Field and completed their regular season with 18 home games. A maximum of 1,500 fans per game were allowed inside the stadium with social distancing and mask rules were enforced.

Northwoods League

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

The summer collegiate baseball league was set to begin on May 26, but was delayed. Teams finished the season playing in regional pods. The Iowa-Minnesota pod featured the Willmar Stingers, Mankato MoonDogs, Rochester Honkers, St. Cloud Rox and the Waterloo Bucks. The Duluth Huskies did not participate.

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

Regular season play started with the Chiefs defeating the Texans 34-20 infront of 17,000 fans. The league plans to play a full regular season slate and the Vikings opened their season with a 43-34 loss to the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. The game was played without fans in attendance.

The NFL suffered their first postponement when the Tennessee Titans reported several players and personnel had tested positive. The Titans Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was moved to later in the season and their Week 5 game against the Bills has been rescheduled. The New England Patriots also have had games rescheduled by positive tests.

The NFL ultimately had to change multiple team's schedules going forward to accommodate postponements.

The NFL Hall of Fame postponed the 2020 induction ceremony to 2021. The class was set to feature modern-era players, Steve Atwater, Isaac Bruce, Steve Hutchinson, Edgerrin James and Troy Polamalu; coaches Bill Cowher and Jimmy Johnson; and three contributors, Steve Sabol, Paul Tagliabue and George Young.

Targeted return date: Play has resumed
The season was suspended March 12 with teams having between 11 and 14 games remaining in the regular season.

The NHL officially closed the books on the regular season and brought 24 of the 31 teams back for a postseason tournament that started with games at hub locations in Edmonton for the Western Conference and Toronto for the Eastern Conference.

The playoffs were completed this week when the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars to win the Stanley Cup.

The league and players agreed on health and safety protocols and an extended collective bargaining agreement.

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

The season was suspended on March 11, with five weeks left in the regular season and most teams having played about 65 of their 82 games.

The league brought 22 teams to Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports complex outside Orlando, Fla., and completed a truncated regular season, with each team playing eight games. The playoffs started with the Lakers as the No. 1 seed in the West and the Bucks the No. 1 seed in the East.

The Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 4-2 in the NBA Finals.

The Timberwolves season ended after a 19-45 campaign. But the team completed two weeks of workouts and scrimmages in Minneapolis and now turns their focus to the NBA Draft.

The Wolves won a virtual NBA Draft Lottery and will have the No. 1 overall pick.

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

The WNBA postponed the start of its season, which was to begin in May. The league's draft was held April 17.

The league and players approved a 22-game season at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Players will receive their full salary. Games began on July 25 and the Lynx clinched a 10th straight playoff berth.

The WNBA Playoffs began and the Lynx earned a bye as the No. 4 seed but lost in the semifinals to the Seattle Storm, who won the WNBA title.

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

The NCAA canceled its winter and spring championships, and universities stopped spring sports activities, including spring football practices and games.

The NCAA released guidelines for a potential return to action in the fall but the Big Ten and Pac 12 initially postponed fall sports indefinitely. The SEC, ACC and Big 12 began their college football seasons, with some postponements due to positive tests. And the Big Ten reversed course and announced they would hold an eight game football season starting October 24 while the Pac 12 will start a seven game season in November.

Now all 10 FBS conferences will play fall football and the plan is to have a full bowl schedule, as well.

Austin Peay and Central Arkansas played the first collegiate sports event in 170 days when the two FCS squads faced off in football.

The NCAA canceled Division I, Division II and Division III fall championships.

They announced that Division I men's and women's basketball can return to play on Nov. 25.

The Minnesota College Athletic Conference, with 24 junior and community college teams, has canceled football, volleyball and men's and women's soccer for the fall season.

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

The Minnesota State High School League allowed schools to resume practices for athletes with coaches present. The MSHSL initially voted to postpone football and volleyball to March of 2021 while allowing individual fall sports, as well as girls' and boys' soccer, to start on-time.

But the MSHSL reversed course and will allow football and volleyball to start immediately with shortened seasons and still to be determined playoff schedules.

With football set to begin, several teams had to postpone games due to positive coronavirus tests.

The MSHSL canceled spring sports practice and competition this year after the winter sports season ended on March 13, five days before tip-off of the boys' basketball state tournament and the day before the girls' basketball state finals.

MLS

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

Regular season matches, which began Feb. 29, were suspended on March 12. MLS returned to play on July 8 with all 26 teams based in the Orlando area and completed a World Cup-style "MLS is Back" tournament without spectators.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced that the league would resume the regular season shortly after the end of the tournament and that clubs will be allowed to have fans where local governments allow it. The Loons returned to play in St. Paul at Allianz Field.

NWSL

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

The top domestic women's league delayed the start of its season, scheduled for April 18.

The league returned June 27 with the first games of the NWSL Challenge Cup (above) at Zions Bank Stadium in Utah. The tournament concluded with the Houston Dash defeating Chicago in the championship. Fans were not allowed in attendance.

International

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

Most international soccer leagues resumed play in May and were able to finish their 2019-2020 campaigns, and now several leagues have opened their 2020-2021 seasons after a brief break.

Germany's Bundesliga was the first major European soccer league to return to action, on May 16 while Spain's La Liga restarted on June 11.

The Premier League returned with 92 games remaining on the schedule and completed play on August 1. The 2020-2021 season started in September.

Serie A in Italy resumed play on June 20 under an agreement that the testing of their clubs would not interfere with the ability to test other Italian citizens.

The Champions League was halted at the round-of-16 stage but was restarted in Lisbon and Bayern Munich defeated Paris Saint-Germain for the title.

The European Championships and Copa America, the premier events of the summer, were rescheduled from June 2020 to June 2021.

France, Belgium and the Netherlands all canceled the remainders of their 2019-2020 seasons but have started their 2020-2021 seasons.

The Ballon d'Or and Ballon d'Or Feminin trophies, which are awarded to the top player in men's and women's soccer by Group L'Equipe, was canceled for the first time in history.

PGA Tour

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

The PGA Tour stopped play after the first round of the Players Championship on March 12. The tour resumed June 11 at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas (above).

The revised PGA Tour schedule featured the 3M Open in Blaine. The event was not allowed to have fans.

Here are the plans for the season's major golf events:

LPGA

Targeted return date: Play has resumed
The top women's pro tour stopped play in mid-February. The LPGA had hoped to restart July 15-18 at a team event in Michigan, but that tournament was canceled. The LPGA started with the Drive On Championship in Toledo, Ohio.

The Evian Championship, usually the last major of the season which was schedule to be held from Aug. 6-9 in France, has been canceled.

The four other major tournaments have been rescheduled with the U.S. Women's Open going last, running from Dec. 10-13 in Houston.

Minnesota courses: Golf courses around the state were allowed to open in mid-April. Special no-touch and social-distancing rules apply, and courses are adjusting to the new normal.

Targeted return date: Play has resumed

Top-level pro tennis tournaments stopped play in early March. A few exhibition events were disrupted by players testing positive for the virus, including a tour in the Balkans at which Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 men's player in the world, contracted the virus.

The ATP returned to action at the Western & Southern Open in New York City.

The WTA restarted play at the Palermo Ladies Open in Italy.

The U.S. Open, normally the last Grand Slam event on the year, was held at Flushing Meadows in New York City with Naomi Osaka winning the women's title and Dominic Thiem winning the men's title.

The French Open moved from May 24-June 6 to Sept. 27-Oct. 11, and allowed a limited number of fans at the tournament. Rafael Nadal won his 13th French Open men's title while 19-year-old Iga Swiatek won her first major on the women's side.

Wimbledon, which was to begin June 29, was canceled for the first time since World War II.

China announced that it would not hold any international sporting events, except Olympic trials, for the rest of the year. That would affect at least 10 scheduled tennis tournaments in the fall.

Targeted return date: Racing has resumed

Many tracks around the country have resumed operations, but those that are open are holding races with limited or no spectators.

The Kentucky Derby was postponed from its traditional date on the first Saturday in May and ran Sept. 5 with Authentic winning.

The Preakness Stakes, scheduled for May 16, ran on Oct. 3.

The Belmont Stakes ran on June 20 as the first leg of the Triple Crown instead of the last. The race, won by Tiz the Law, was shortened to a mile and an eighth rather than its traditional mile and a half.

Live racing at Canterbury Park in Shakopee returned in June and completed a 52-day racing schedule. Running Aces harness track in Columbus opened its stable area and resumed racing on June 20 with a 50-day schedule.

And after initially saying that Canterbury would only be allowed to race without spectators, Gov. Walz announced that up to 250 fans can be in attendance.

NASCAR

Targeted return date: Racing has resumed

NASCAR was the first major sports organization in North America to return to action. They have also allowed different levels of fan attendance. At the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1,000 first responders and military families attended the event. At the NASCAR All-Star Race on July 16, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, 20,000 fans were allowed in attended at the track, which can hold 140,000.

IndyCar

Targeted return date: Racing has resumed

The series returned with the Genesys 300 on June 7. After sharing a July weekend of racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with NASCAR (above), IndyCar ran four races in eight days starting July 11 at Road America in Wisconsin.

The Indianapolis 500 was not held on Memorial Day weekend and instead was held Aug. 23. It was the first time in the race's history it was not in the month of May.

Formula One

Targeted return date: Racing has resumed

The first 10 races of the season were postponed or canceled, including the Monaco Grand Prix in May. Formula One returned with a race in Austria.

NHRA

Targeted return date: Racing has resumed

The drag racing series resumed on July 11 at the NHRA Mellow Yellow at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. But the series announced that the NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, set for Aug. 13-16, was postponed.

Targeted return date: July 23, 2021

The Summer Olympics in Tokyo, scheduled for July 24-Aug 9, were postponed and will instead begin July 23, 2021. The Olympics were previously canceled because of wars, but they had never been postponed.

Targeted return date: Racing has resumed

The International Cycling Union announced a revised schedule, and the first event to take place was the Slovenian National Championships on June 21.

The three biggest races in cycling -- the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana -- are scheduled to take place over a 72-day span between August and November. The stretch started with the Tour de France on Aug. 29 in Nice, which was won by 21-year-old Tadej Pogacar in historic fashion.

"If we manage to have all these races as planned, we will be very happy," UCI president David Lappartient said in conference call. "This is the ambition we have."

The major races on the women's circuit have also been maintained, and the UCI announced the debut of a female Paris-Roubaix on Oct. 25 -- the same day as the men's event.

Targeted return date: Matches have resumed

UFC returned on May 9, and the organization has hosted several events since then. UFC 250 took place on Saturday in Las Vegas with increased virus testing in place.

UFC 251 took place on "Fight Island" in the United Arab Emirates on July 11 with three other fight nights scheduled to take place on the island.

The minor league baseball season, American Hockey League, National Women's Hockey League, XFL, New York City Marathon, Boston Marathon, Little League World Series and American Legion baseball season, have all been canceled.