CONCORD, N.C. – Charlotte Motor Speedway will welcome a limited number of fans during the upcoming NASCAR race weekend on the ROVAL on Oct. 10-11.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and state health officials announced a plan Tuesday that will allow outdoor sports venues with a capacity of more than 10,000 to host events with fans up to seven percent of their capacity, beginning Oct. 2.

“Throughout the summer, we’ve been working with local and state officials to bring fans to the Bank of America ROVAL 400 weekend for what promises to be one of the season’s most anticipated events,” said Charlotte Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Greg Walter. “While we regret that we cannot accommodate every fan who would like to be part of this spectacular race weekend, we are committed to providing the best and safest experience possible for those who are able to attend.”

The ROVAL race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway includes the NASCAR Cup Serires Bank of America ROVAL 400 on Oct. 11, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans and GT Daytona divisions sharing the card on Oct. 10.

Based on the limited capacity allowed by the state, no additional tickets will be sold for the Oct. 11 Bank of America ROVAL 400. Remaining ticket holders will have the option to receive a 120 percent credit toward a 2021 event or a refund for the full purchase amount. Charlotte Motor Speedway ticket office staff will reach out to existing ticket holders regarding their tickets.

Tickets are still available for Saturday’s racing double-header, highlighted by the NASCAR Xfinity Series Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina and the first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event on the ROVAL. Adult tickets are $50 and available by calling 800-455-FANS (3267) or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. Kids 13 and under get in free.

State and local health officials have reviewed the speedway’s plans to bring fans to the track safely. Race weekend fan protocols will include mandatory temperature checks at entry gates, contactless ticketing, socially distanced grandstand seating and cashless souvenir and concession purchases. Fans and staff will also be required to wear approved face coverings at all times, except while eating and drinking. Limited grandstand seating will be in groups of up to six people properly socially distant from any other group.

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s modified race day protocols also include: social distancing in concession and bathroom lines; enhanced cleaning and sanitation in high-touch, high-traffic public areas; added hand-sanitizer stations; limited guests in suites; and infield admission for race team and operational personnel only.

Fans will be allowed to bring food and unopened beverages in a soft-sided clear bag no larger than 14 inches on its longest side. Standard coolers will be prohibited to limit interpersonal contact at security checkpoints. To limit contact, cash will not be accepted. Credit/debit cards and Apple Pay will be the accepted forms of payment at concession and souvenir locations.

“We’ve had some key learnings from our sister tracks including Bristol, New Hampshire and Texas, who have each successfully hosted fans during the pandemic. We look forward to implementing those ideas, among others, to be sure that fans can focus on fun while they’re here,” Walter said.

Sebastian Soderberg was forced to withdraw from the Irish Open after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement released by the European Tour on Friday morning.

The contact happened before the Swedish golfer entered the tournament bubble at Galgorm Castle Golf Club, yet Soderberg was not notified until Thursday night. Despite testing negative, Soderberg, who opened in 4-over 74, could not continue to compete and now must self-isolate for 14 days in accordance with Northern Ireland public health guidelines.

"[He] will be supported throughout that period by European Tour medical and event staff," the tour's statement said.

Soderberg's playing competitors, Scott Hend and amateur Tom McKibbin, were allowed to continue competing and did so Friday in a twosome.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said Premier League clubs should offer help where possible to those lower down the football pyramid who are struggling to cope with the impact coronavirus has had on finances.

The government this week called off plans to allow a number of supporters back into stadiums from Oct. 1 with Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning these measures could be in place for six months.

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"In general people in a better position should help people in a less good position, 100%," Klopp said at a news conference on Friday when asked about the impact on smaller clubs

"I don't understand the structure 100% -- in Germany you have Bundesliga 1 and Bundesliga 2, so they have to share the problems so that makes things slightly easier.

"There isn't a general answer -- people in a better position should help other people but the position in this moment for all clubs is not really easy. I don't know how the government finds time to think about that, but I get it 100%. So, yes football should try to help themselves, ourselves -- however we should say it -- I agree 100%."

The decision to prevent clubs from allowing fans back into the stadiums has caused concern up and down the football pyramid, with some clubs saying they face great financial uncertainty if they cannot generate match day income. Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden, said this week he will be "asking sports to help themselves -- starting with the Premier League in respect of football."

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard also called for Premier League sides to help struggling Championship clubs during the pandemic.

Liverpool next face Arsenal in the Premier League on Monday after victories against Leeds United and Chelsea.

Klopp confirmed Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson would miss the match with a thigh injury he sustained against Chelsea, but is hopeful of having defender Joe Gomez fit.

With Henderson ruled out, Klopp could opt to start new signing Thiago from the outset against Arsenal, but he kept his cards close to his chest when asked whether Liverpool's new £20 million man would get a place in their starting line-up.

"We will see... we have a few days to train -- I have an idea for how we will set up but I won't make the decision today," Klopp said. "He's in contention."

Klopp was also full of praise for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta labelling him an "exceptional" manager.

"You can see the balance between defence and offence is really good. He's [Arteta's] done a really impressive job, he's changed the whole mood of the club. That's impressive, he's a tough, tough opponent," he added.

Frank Lampard has revealed Chelsea are devising a special training programme for Christian Pulisic after admitting the club's concern over his fitness record.

The 22-year-old is yet to feature this season and will miss Saturday's Premier League trip to West Brom as he continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury sustained in Chelsea's FA Cup Final defeat to Arsenal on Aug. 1.

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Pulisic's debut campaign in England following a £58 million move from Borussia Dortmund was a mixture of fine form and persistent problems, becoming the youngest Chelsea player to score a hat trick in the Premier League but also making just 27 starts in all competitions.

The USMNT international suffered multiple injury setbacks including a abductor tear in early January which restricted him to a total of 1,727 minutes out of Chelsea's 4,950 total.

And Lampard said: "There is always a concern about players' fitness when the history says there has been some injuries and last season we did have it with Christian. I was questioned many times on my position on Christian when he did play and didn't play.

"Of course, when you look at a player with his recent record, you are trying to find the right way, the right balance of getting the best out of him which we saw in big periods last year and making sure you don't overcook him and leave him susceptible to injury, particularly a player of his explosive pace and balance. That's a fine line.

"We are working on that and Christian is also very open to that. He wants to play, he is so hungry to play and he is very nearly fit now but it is certainly something we will have to manage with him this season because we have all seen the talent and it is something we want to get right. I am not saying it is a fundamental chronic issue, it's not. But we want to get as many minutes of the really great Christian we saw lots of last season on the pitch."

Although Pulisic will miss Saturday's game, Lampard was upbeat about the prospect of a quick return to action.

"Christian isn't ready for the squad tomorrow -- nor is Hakim Ziyech -- but they are both training with us now which is good news and we hope to have them with us in proper match contention over the next week or two," he added.

Stafanie Taylor, West Indies women's captain, has hailed the hard work that women's cricketers have put in after becoming only the second player - male or female - to reach the landmark of 3000 T20I runs.

Taylor, 29, reached the milestone with a scampered second run on an overthrow in West Indies' second T20I against England, joining New Zealand's Suzie Bates in an exclusive club.

And while she insisted that she had not been thinking about her proximity to the achievement, she admitted that it felt "really good" to have surpassed that mark.

"I'm not really a stats person, so I wouldn't know these things," she said in an in-house Cricket West Indies interview. "But when it came up on the big screen, it was a really good feeling.

"To see that it's a female who is in front of me, it shows the amount of work that we as female cricketers have been doing over the years. To see that a lot of people have highlighted what we have done is a great feeling. It's always about men's cricket, so it's good to see that they've highlighted females who have done really well in the game."

Reflecting on her achievement, Taylor said that diet and fitness had been the keys to her longevity in the game, having won 105 T20I caps to date, and highlighted Virat Kohli's decision to quit meat after the 2016 IPL as an inspiration.

"I remember he [Kohli] did an interview not long ago, and said that he had been home after a tour and looked at himself in the mirror, and was like: 'nah'. He didn't like what he was seeing, and if he wanted to compete with the top players, he had to change the way he went about thing.

"That was a place I was in, and I was like, if you really want to compete with really top athletes like Australia, they take their fitness very seriously. I thought to myself that I was tired of eating meat. I said: 'you know what, I'm going to change it up a bit, and eat some fish, and when there's no fish, I'll eat veg'.

"When I stopped eating meat and started doing some exercise, people started commenting on the fact I'd lost of a lot of weight. I was like 'no, I don't think so', but as I kept going, kept putting in work, going out to exercise at six in the morning, making sure my nutrition was good, I realised that when I was putting on my jeans, it wasn't the same. After seeing those changes, it really felt good on my body."

ALSO READ: Are more cricketers turning vegetarian and vegan?

Taylor also highlighted the need for a domestic and academy system for women's cricketers in the West Indies structure, suggesting that her side is crying out for young talent that is not coming through.

"I've spoken about this plenty of times," she said. "I'd love to see some young players coming through, integrating with the old folks, learning a thing or two.

"We definitely need a feeder system. That's what we lack. When you look around the world, especially India, Australia and England, they've been doing really well with young players coming through the system, and then when they reach international level, it's nothing new - it's not foreign to them. That's what I would love to see in the Caribbean."

Welcome to ESPNcricinfo's Rolling Report of the seventh IPL 2020 match, between the Chennai Super Kings and the Delhi Capitals. CSK have won and lost a match each, and in their camp are the likes of MS Dhoni, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi and others. On the other, are Shreyas Iyer, R Ashwin, Shimron Hetmyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Sandeep Lamichhane, Rishabh Pant, Kagiso Rabada, Prithvi Shaw, Marcus Stoinis, Ishant Sharma and others. Can the Capitals stay unbeaten?

The PCB was "surprised and disappointed" by the decision of the six PSL franchises to seek legal action in a bid to get the financial model of the T20 league changed. The board's counsel told Lahore High Court that the franchises' writ petition "was misdirected and was liable to be dismissed" as the proper mechanism for resolving any dispute between the PCB and the franchises is "through initiation of arbitration".

The franchise owners approached the court with the claim that the PSL has made the PCB richer while the franchises have run into losses every season, and asked in the petition for the court to direct the PCB to "formally redress the grievances of all franchises" and "revise the model of PSL in accordance with its statutory mandate and make it financially viable".

The PCB's legal team was in court on Friday, present before Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi, and "received notices for hearing in respect of the Writ Petition filed by the six franchise owners, fixed today as an Urgent Petition", according to a PCB statement.

Taffazul Rizvi, the PCB's counsel, objected to the "maintainability" of the petition, pointing to the dispute resolution protocols, and informed the judge "that the PCB had twice this week invited the franchise owners to meet and discuss the financial model for HBL Pakistan Super League with a view towards redressing grievances in good faith".

"The PCB remains committed to working with its partners, but in this matter, it is surprised and disappointed that despite its offers to engage in discussions over the financial model and whilst being aware of the appropriate forum for dispute resolution, the franchisees approached the Honourable High Court" PCB statement

The franchises, meanwhile, have contended that they have met with the PCB on more than one occasion to discuss the matter, but nothing concrete has emerged from those interactions. The issue reared its head when the board was late in distributing the franchises' share of the revenue generated during the 2019 PSL. This led to all six owners refusing to submit their bank guarantees, a key part of the petition.

"The PCB remains committed to working with its partners, but in this matter, it is surprised and disappointed that despite its offers to engage in discussions over the financial model and whilst being aware of the appropriate forum for dispute resolution, the franchisees approached the Honourable High Court," the PCB statement said. "The PCB looks forward to addressing all queries and legal-objections before the Honourable Court and then to find solutions that are practicable and acceptable to all parties involved."

The PCB will submit its written comments by September 30, the next date of the hearing, on the court's instructions.

Seeking redressal in court is a culmination of long-running frustration for the franchises about the league's financial model. Franchises have argued for tax exemptions, a better distribution of gate money and better exchange rate terms. No franchise has broken even in the first four full seasons of the league, and the addition of an extra franchise - the Multan Sultans - has lessened everyone's share from the central pool the PCB has set up for revenue.

The PCB has insisted that once the league moves back to Pakistan properly then not only will the franchises be able to move towards breaking even but it will also generate "higher economic activity in the country". This season - the league's fifth - was the first to be fully played in Pakistan, but it was hit by the Covid-19 crisis. Four matches of the playoffs could not be played and have been rescheduled for November behind closed doors.

Heather Knight has implored England to "put a show on" in Saturday's third T20I against West Indies, as her side face the dual incentives of sealing the five-match series with two to play and showcasing women's international cricket live on free-to-air TV.

2-0 up in the series after 47-run wins in both of their first fixtures since the T20 World Cup in March, England have been dominant despite not yet stringing together a complete performance. In the first match, they added only 31 runs in the final five overs to stumble to 163, while in the second nobody made a defining contribution: the top score with the bat was Sarah Glenn's 26 from No. 8, while none of the bowlers took three wickets.

"I think we haven't played our best cricket yet," Knight admitted on Friday, "but we're still winning well and still posting 150+ despite probably not fulfilling our potential as a batting line-up yet. We haven't had many people go on.

"The other night, we had lots of starts but nobody went on to get that really big score which we know wins a large percentage of games. We're obviously looking to do that. The pitch was a little bit slower so they went a bit wider, which we probably didn't adapt to well enough, but yeah, we're hopeful that we'll get some runs on the board."

ALSO READ: 'I want to be a genuine allrounder' - Glenn

While they are yet to put in a perfect performance, England will be buoyed by the visibility that this series has received. The third T20I will be broadcast live on the BBC - the first women's fixture to be shown on terrestrial TV in the UK since the 1993 World Cup final - but the series has already been afforded broad coverage: Sky have made their feed available without charge on YouTube, Test Match Special has broadcast from the ground, and ESPNcricinfo has provided ball-by-ball commentary throughout.

Knight suggested that there had been "a bigger buzz around training" on Friday morning, despite the cold Derby weather, in the knowledge that Saturday's game will be seen by a bigger audience than usual, and highlighted opener Danni Wyatt as a player who would use additional visibility as a motivation.

"This is the most visible bilateral series we've ever had, which is amazing," Knight said. "Sky have been a great broadcast partner and have shown all the games free on YouTube, but to have that prime slot on the BBC is only going to increase the reach that we have. Hopefully we can put on a brilliant performance.

"[Wyatt] loves the buzz of T20 cricket and the buzz of having people to show what she can do. She's had good signs in the first two games and hasn't really gone on, [but] hopefully she can go out and impress tomorrow."

ALSO READ: Making cricket more inclusive would be a small positive from Covid - Knight

And Knight also played down concerns that with West Indies looking rusty and struggling to score fluently in the series so far, Saturday's game might lack something in terms of a spectacle.

"It doesn't concern me," she said. "Our job is to win games of cricket, which we've been doing. The West Indies have had a little bit of a break: not many of them were training before they came over here, so that needs to be taken into account a little bit.

"I think [the second T20I] threatened to be a really good game when Deandra [Dottin] and Stafanie [Taylor] were building that partnership - we did really feel under pressure. In the first game, when Deandra was there, we always felt that they could make a game of it because we know the hitting potential she does have.

"As a side we've executed really well, particularly with the ball, and managed to keep them quiet. Hopefully we can continue to do that. From a captain's point of view, in terms of the growth of the team, you want to see the girls put under pressure as much as possible, but we're doing our job very well at the moment, and will look to continue to do that."

Every morning, we simulate the rest of the college football season 20,000 times. I've peered into these parallel worlds, and let me tell you, some of the simulations are kind of wild. We've got some where Indiana wins the Big Ten. There are others where Kentucky wins the SEC. There's at least one where Louisiana -- that's it, there's no word after Louisiana -- reaches the playoff.

Thirteen months ago, we might have said the simulations that had LSU winning the national championship were a bit unrealistic. They play in Tuscaloosa, how's that going to happen? South Carolina over Georgia in Athens? Zero shot. Wisconsin losing to Illinois?

That's the thing about college football -- the unlikely is never impossible. That's why we play it out.

And that's what we're doing today. We're simulating the SEC season and College Football Playoff. You can easily find all our projections at espn.com/fpi every day; but here, we are going to walk through one of these worlds -- simulation No. 20 -- to see how it all shakes out. It could be wild, like our single simulation of March Madness that resulted in a Wisconsin-BYU final. It could be fairly chalky, like our single simulation of the 2020 NFL season that ended in a Chiefs repeat. But, because it's college football, we know it won't be boring.

Week 4

Kentucky delivers the first upset of the SEC season, taking down Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium by eight points. It's a devastating loss for the Tigers, who enter the season as a long shot playoff candidate, with an 11% chance, according to FPI. Bo Nix, entering his second season in Auburn and with more expectations on his shoulders, throws two interceptions in the loss.

Tennessee picks up a road victory in Columbia, and Texas A&M squeaks by with a too-close-for-comfort win against Vanderbilt. The Aggies led by just a point before Kellen Mond threw a touchdown with four minutes to go to extend the lead to eight. Elsewhere, expectations largely hold.

Week 5

Auburn's season is effectively over before it has really begun. What most assumed would be a close game between Georgia and Auburn was anything but. Kirby Smart's team ran around the Tigers and handed Gus Malzahn his second loss in as many games to open the season -- this time by 23 points. The win helped answer this question for the Bulldogs, too: How would they fare without Jamie Newman?

The answer appears to be, just fine.

In Starkville, Mike Leach had his first winnable game as Mississippi State's head coach (following a loss at LSU in Week 4), but it turned ugly. Arkansas pulled away from the Bulldogs in the second half and won by 16.

Week 6

Leach gets that first Mississippi State win, generating enough offense to best Kentucky by six in Lexington.

Meanwhile, LSU, which hasn't had a significant test after losing last season's stars to the NFL (Joe Burrow, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Justin Jefferson, plus 2020 opt-out Ja'Marr Chase), gets a bit of a scare from Mizzou. Ed Orgeron's team holds on for the win, but a team with title defense aspirations can't feel good about a six-point victory against Missouri at Tiger Stadium.

Florida has no such problem against Texas A&M, as Kyle Trask leads an explosive offensive effort en route to a 32-point road win in College Station.

Week 7

It's the 2018 SEC championship game all over again, including the result. Georgia fought to the end but, as is so often the case, Alabama found a way. QB Mac Jones leads a winning drive and the Bulldogs are unable to answer in the waning seconds. The loss hurts Georgia's playoff hopes, but a cross-divisional loss ends no team's chances.

As for LSU-Florida, it turned out their Week 6 results did not foreshadow what was to come between these two heavyweights. The Gators had an opportunity to take control of the SEC East with the Georgia loss, but they instead dropped their contest against LSU. The divisional race is too close to call.

Week 8

Florida nearly lost twice in a row -- potentially overlooking Missouri after a tough game against LSU -- by allowing Mizzou to hang around all game. The Tigers had an opportunity to win with a long field goal attempt in the final seconds, but the kick flew wide right and the Gators hung on for the win to stay alive in the divisional race.

Week 9

The title defense is on. LSU defeats Auburn, with Myles Brennan just besting Nix for a narrow victory. After already dismissing Florida, the Tigers' last difficult challenge is a big one: Alabama. But Orgeron's team enters the contest undefeated and will be staring at a fairly clear lane toward the playoff with a win.

Arkansas' surprise win on the road against Texas A&M gives the Razorbacks a nice 3-2 start to 2020, rebounding from two opening losses against Auburn and Georgia. The Sam Pittman era is going well early.

Week 10

It looks as if we've got a changing of the guard in the SEC East. Florida wins convincingly against Georgia in Jacksonville at what one hopes will only figuratively be the world's largest outdoor cocktail party. It's a two-touchdown win for Florida coach Dan Mullen, who now has his eyes set on the SEC crown.

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt picks up its first win of the season versus Mississippi State, Texas A&M picks up its fourth loss and Arkansas nabs another victory.

Week 11

Suddenly, that title defense isn't looking too hot. LSU almost pulled it off, but Nick Saban got the best of Orgeron and Alabama now is firmly in control of the division. Barring a collapse by the Crimson Tide, LSU will have to hope for help from outside the SEC if it wants to return to the playoff.

Week 12

Oh, Bulldogs. The season already was getting away from Georgia, which was apparently never able to recover from losing its expected starter in Newman. But it got ugly this week. Mississippi State, struggling in Leach's first season, pulled out a miraculous performance to stun Georgia in Athens.

Florida is officially heading to the SEC championship game.

Week 13

Alabama wins the Iron Bowl, barely. The Tide are the SEC's lone remaining undefeated team, and the number of narrow victories is concerning to fans with high standards in Tuscaloosa (and hurts their FPI rating, too!). But, record-wise, Saban and his team are on track. Talk has turned to these scenarios: What would happen if Alabama lost against Florida in the SEC championship game? Would the Tide still get in?

Week 14

The divisional races are settled but, in a shortened season, these final games still represent something important for teams not going on to the conference championship. LSU beats Ole Miss to secure a 9-1 record, which is potentially important. Should Alabama win the SEC championship game, LSU could have a shot at a second SEC playoff spot with only one loss to the conference champion.

Auburn's win over A&M secures a winning record for the Tigers. Though Arkansas lost expectedly against Alabama, the Razorbacks finish the season at .500.

SEC championship game

Florida shocks Bama! Tide fans might have feigned concern heading into the contest, but few actually thought Florida could pull off this upset. And this wasn't a nail-biter, either. Led by Trask, Florida posted a solid 16-point defeat and demonstrated it was clearly the better team. With the the Gators locking a playoff spot, their win sends shockwaves through college football, as it is now Saban's team that will nervously await the committee's result.

Playoff selection

Let's take stock of the other conferences.

The Big Ten is easy: Ohio State went undefeated and beat Minnesota in the championship game. The Buckeyes will be in.

The Big 12 is also straightforward: Texas has emerged as an elite team that also went undefeated and won its conference championship game against TCU.

The ACC is messier: Notre Dame went undefeated in the regular season -- including a win over Clemson -- but the Tigers struck back in the championship game and took the conference.

And that has left the committee with a choice. Does it take Clemson, with its conference crown? Or Alabama, whose strength of record is significantly better with a loss but against a much tougher schedule?

Debates rage through the night, but, in the end, the committee selects ... Alabama!

The Tide sneak in as the No. 4 seed and will face Texas in a national semifinal.

National semifinals

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Alabama

For Texas and Alabama, the regular season was no mirage. The Longhorns stomped their way through the Big 12 schedule and went undefeated to earn the No. 1 seed from the selection committee. There is pregame hype of a close matchup, but Sam Ehlinger and Texas skate to a fairly easy victory.

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Florida

Florida has pulled off the upset! In a tightly contested, back-and-forth affair, Trask leads the Gators to a winning field goal attempt in the final minute to book a ticket to the national championship game. Ohio State -- for the second straight season -- is sent packing after ending up oh-so-close in the semifinal.

National championship

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Florida

The Gators have done it!

After struggling to break out of the SEC East during the first few years of the Mullen era, Florida has won the national title. They do so in convincing fashion, with Trask outplaying Ehlinger to the tune of a two-touchdown victory.

Florida wins the national championship in only 1.2% of our simulations, but none of that matters if the simulation that happens is one of the 1.2%. So congrats, Gators fans, you won it all. And if 2020 plays out a different way for Florida? Well you'll always have that time when your 1% chance became reality -- on the internet.

Lauren Poe contributed to this report.