The NFL will release its schedule Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET and is still full-speed ahead on opening with full stadiums and on time, beginning with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the opener on Thursday, Sept. 10.
Still, the league has plenty of contingencies in case changes have to be made, including sending a memo Tuesday to all 32 teams (obtained by The Associated Press) that outlines a ticket refund policy for games that may be canceled or have to be played without spectators.
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The policy applies to tickets sold directly by teams. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote, “all clubs will have in place a policy under which, if a game is canceled, or is played under conditions that prohibit fans from attending, anyone purchasing a ticket directly from the club (i.e., season tickets, group sales and/or partial season plans) will have the option of either receiving a full refund or applying the amount paid toward a future ticket purchase directly from the club.”
The AP also reported that the NFL has received assurances from secondary market ticket sellers Ticketmaster and SeatGeek that they'll make full refunds available for all ticket sales within no more than 30 days of cancellation. StubHub will do so only where required by state law.
Goodell's memo also reiterated that ultimately the leagues scheduling decisions "will be guided by medical and public health advice and will comply with government regulations. We will be prepared to make necessary adjustments just as we have in other contexts, such as the offseason program and the draft."
New England Patriots
In Major League Baseball, individual teams have set their refund policies (here's the Red Sox's) for games lost to the coronavirus crisis. The New York Yankees and Mets drew criticism for the hoops they asked their fans to jump through for their refunds.