Efforts to stop the spread of Coronavirus continue to be the biggest story in sports this week. The news has affected athletes and teams at all levels and communities of all sizes, as schools, leagues and sports organizations around the world consider how to proceed in a way that best safeguards student-athletes and the health of the general public. With a flood of information coming over the past few days, The Rally thought it would be best this week to provide an overview of Coronavirus news (below) we believe might be relevant to readers involved with different levels of sport. Our hope is that we can aggregate news and information from across the country that may be useful as you consider your own sports/events and make your own decisions. As always, be sure to follow the CDC for additional information on the pandemic, as well as your local news.

Be assured of our prayers for you and your communities as we navigate uncharted territory over the coming weeks. The Rally will continue to be here every Friday to fill your inbox with news and information from around the world of sports.

After initially moving to hold tournament games without fans, the NCAA made the decision late Thursday to cancel not just men's and women's basketball tournaments, but all remaining winter and spring championships . The news affects 16 men's and women's sports, with events stretching into the summer months. This news comes after individual schools indicated they would suspend all athletic travel indefinitely, while many smaller leagues had already canceled spring sports and schools across the country are taking extended spring breaks or implementing distance learning for the rest of the semester. With implications for thousands of student-athletes, there may already be momentum among coaches and the media to create a one-time waiver that would allow seniors to play an additional year in 2020-2021.

The NBA made waves on Wednesday night when it became the first major league to suspend all games until further notice. The decision came after All-Star Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for Coronavirus. The NHL, MLS and MLB all followed suit on Thursday, with the latter suspending Spring Training and delaying the start of the upcoming season. The PGA became the latest to cancel events, after originally saying that they would continue their tournaments without fans into April.

Individual schools and state athletic associations across the country weighed decisions regarding their own winter and spring sports this week. Connecticut made news early in the week when it became the first to cancel high school winter sports tournaments , prompting hundreds of student-athletes to protest the decision. New York Catholic High Schools also suspended all practices and games until further notice . In the Midwest, Iowa opted to continue tournament play with limited fans despite push-back, with officials emphasizing there has been "no community spread." Having reviewed countless articles from states across the country, The Rally would say there appears to be widespread pressure to postpone, cancel or limit fans at high school sporting events regardless of the number of local cases of the illness.

The situation may be even more disparate at the youth and community level of sports. A review of news from around the country demonstrates a dramatic difference in how youth leagues and events are being handled, tied primarily to the reach of the Coronavirus pandemic in local communities. In much of the country, youth sports are continuing with additional safety precautions that limit contact between participants, coaches, officials and parents. However, many leagues may be forced to make changes as schools determine whether or not to close and more states follow the example of Washington, California and Ohio in implementing a ban on gatherings of a certain number of people. With the government bans as low as 100 individuals, everything from CYO games to local tournaments will likely be affected. As local administrators consider how to safeguard children and families, the column linked below provides a solid, general overview of tips for managing the spread of illness in sports.