KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andy Reid is like most people these days. The Kansas City Chiefs coach is hunkered down in his basement trying to avoid going out in public as he works from a makeshift office consisting of a computer, an iPad and an old side table. The difference though: He's trying to build a team that can defend a Super Bowl title. That means negotiating free agency and putting together a plan for the NFL draft still scheduled to take place later this month.
UNDATED (AP) — Athletic directors across the U.S. are bracing for a potential financial crisis related to the coronavirus pandemic. A survey was conducted by an association of ADs from 130 major college football schools. It found 63% forecast a worst-case scenario in which revenue for their departments falls by at least 20% during the next school year. Even an abbreviated football season could cause schools to lose that much.
UNDATED (AP) — A survey of more than 100 athletic directors across the country finds deep concern for academics and athletic department finances amid the pandemic. Some 75 percent say they are concerned about a drop in donations and nearly as many are worried about ticket sales and money that comes from games and other fan events.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gonzaga and Michigan were the standouts in a study that seeded men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament brackets based on graduation rates, academic success and diversity in the head-coaching ranks. Gonzaga was a No. 1 seed in both brackets released Thursday by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida. Michigan was a 1-seed for the men and a 3-seed for the women. Arizona State was the only other school to appear in the top 16 of both brackets. The report focused primarily on each team’s Graduation Success Rate and Academic Progress Rate scores for seeding purposes.
UNDATED (AP) — British Open organizers say postponement is an option for this year's tournament at Royal St. George’s. The 149th edition of the Open Championship is scheduled to take place July 16-19. The last time the Open wasn't played was in 1945 because of World War II. The R&A released a short statement in response to media speculation about the staging of the event. Chief executive Martin Slumbers says the “process is taking some time to resolve” because of a range of external factors.
UNDATED (AP) — The Senior PGA Championship in Michigan has been canceled. The PGA of America says it based its decision on Michigan’s stay-at-home order that was enacted March 23. The Senior PGA in Benton Harbor, Michigan, was to be played May 21-24. It will be held next year at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It will return to Benton Harbor the following year.
BOSTON (AP) — The New England Patriots' private team plane returned to Boston from China carrying more than one million masks critical to health care providers fighting to control the spread of the coronavirus. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker secured the N95 masks but had no way of getting them to the U.S. Team owner Robert Kraft stepped in and offered the plane. Kraft Sports and Entertainment chief operating officer Jim Nolan said in an interview on Patriots.com radio that the Chinese government didn’t officially sign off on the trip until March 27.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State star Kaleb Wesson has announced in a tweet that he would forego his final year of eligibility and declare for the NBA draft. Analysts have projected him as a second-round pick. Wesson can sign with an agent for exploratory purposes and still protect his final year of eligibility. He has until June 3 to make a decision. Wesson averaged 14 points and 9.3 rebounds in leading Ohio State to a 21-10 record and 11-9 in the Big Ten Conference.
UNDATED (AP) — Former baseball All-Star Jim Edmonds says he tested positive for the new coronavirus and for pneumonia. Edmonds says in a video posted on Instagram that he is symptom free now and doing “really well.” He thanked people for their well wishes. The 49-year-old played 17 major league seasons from 1993-2010, mostly for the California and Los Angeles Angels and St. Louis Cardinals. He hit 393 home runs.