Major League Soccer's plan for getting back on the field is now official, almost three months after the 2020 season shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. The return will come in the form of a World-Cup style competition to be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World. The competition, called the MLS is Back Tournament, will begin with a group stage followed by knockout rounds.

Plans for this competition have been in the works for almost the entirety of the shutdown, and they didn't come to fruition until some tense negotiations with the MLS Players Association over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement had been concluded. All told, the players gave up over $100 million in economic concessions, but with the plans now in place, here's what you need to know -- and the things we still don't know -- about MLS's return.

- MLS is Back Tournament: Full draw includes LAFC vs. LA Galaxy
- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

What will the tournament look like?

The league's 26 teams were divided into six groups. There was one six-team group in the Eastern Conference -- thanks to Nashville moving from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference -- along with two four-team groups. The Western Conference consists of three four-team groups.

As the host city, Orlando were seeded in Group A, with Atlanta United, Toronto FC, LAFC, the Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake comprising the remaining seeded teams. The games will begin on July 8, with each team playing three matches. (Fans in the U.S. will be able to watch games live on ESPN networks.) The top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout stages, with the final being played on Aug. 11. (Full game schedule is TBC.)

What are some of the highlights from the draw?

Several top rivalries were drawn together in the group stages on Thursday, with LAFC and LA Galaxy ending up the highlight of Group F alongside Portland Timbers and the Houston Dynamo.

Defending MLS Cup champions Seattle Sounders were drawn against their rivals in the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver Whitecaps, in Group B while the team they defeated in the 2019 final, Toronto FC, were drawn in Group C against fellow Canadians Montreal Impact as well as D.C. United and the New England Revolution.

The two Florida teams, Inter Miami CF and Orlando City SC, were also drawn together in Group A alongside Philadelphia Union, New York City FC, Chicago Fire and Nashville SC in the tournament's only six-team group.

Find the full draw here.

The kickoff times are weird. Why is that?

At first glance, the schedule certainly seems bizarre. The games will be held at 9 a.m. ET, 8 p.m. ET, and 10:30 p.m. ET (2 p.m. GMT, 1 a.m. GMT and 3 a.m. GMT). The reasoning is simple: it will avoid playing games in the mid-day blast furnace -- average high temperatures are 92 degrees, with an average low of 78 degrees -- that is high summer in Florida.

How many people will be inside the bubble? And can they leave?

All told, there will be between 1,200-1,500 inside the bubble, which will (mostly) consist of the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee. These include players, coaches and support staff, as well as league personnel. The players and staff from hometown club Orlando City will also be inside the bubble. Leaving the hotel, for anything other than team- and/or league-approved events is prohibited for as long that player's team is in the tournament.

Teams will head down to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World starting on June 24, but each club has some flexibility in terms of arrival time. Those teams operating in locales with loosening stay-at-home orders will opt to stay in their home markets as long as possible, helping to limit time spent away from families. That means it may be July before some teams arrive in Orlando.

It's expected that 6-8 teams, usually those subject to more stringent local restrictions, will opt to get to Orlando closer to June 24.

What if a player goes stir crazy and leaves? In a subsequent interview with ESPN, Garber conceded that "the bubble is not air tight." But in terms of the steps to be taken if a player decides to go out on the town, the protocol around that is still being crafted.

In a bid to prevent players from breaking the bubble, Garber said, "There will be a significant amount of player-engaged activities that our group is now working with Disney on."

That said, discipline will be required. "We're going to need at our collective commitment to ensure that we're not leaving that environment in any way because that's only going to threaten the health of themselves and everybody around them," Garber told ESPN.

What about on the field during game days?

Game days will see personnel divided into three tiers based on the level of testing they've undergone. The top tier includes players, coaches, club officials, referees and medical staff. Pool photographers, broadcasters, league staff, VAR staff, communications staff and the stretcher crew will fit into Tier 2. Tier 3 will be comprised of media, non-rights holder TV crews, photographers and a club's digital staff.

Tier 3 personnel will not be subject to testing for COVID-19. The league is considering having a limited number of media inside the bubble, which would require them to undergo testing. All told, 183 people will be on or close to the field for matches, with the number increasing to 189 for the opener and final. (More on testing further down.)

Have the players signed off? How do they feel about it?

The players have agreed to go, but there are definitely mixed emotions. On the one hand, the players are eager to get back on the field. On the other, they don't want to have to be away from home for six weeks to do it. The bitterness from the CBA negotiations -- in which the league threatened to lock the players out -- remains. Safety is an issue as well.

"Players are going to show up. I think players are going to compete, and, we'll do that part of it," said Minnesota United midfielder Ethan Finlay. "But there's a lot of ownership that these teams are gonna have to take because frankly, we're taking a bit of a safety risk, not just on the health and safety side, but with fatigue. Injury risk is going to go up probably dramatically.

"Guys understand that and know that, but they're also willing to do it because of the circumstances that we're in."

Does every player have to go?

Exceptions will be made, but on a very limited basis. Players with an underlying medical condition that might make them more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 must get permission from the team medical staff to go to Orlando. A player might also be excused if their partner is pregnant, a situation that applies to both the LA Galaxy's Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and LAFC's Carlos Vela, the reigning league MVP.

A recent report in the L.A. Times indicated that Hernandez would take part in the tournament. Vela's status is still to be determined.

How often will there be testing?

All individuals deemed "essential members" of a team's delegation will be tested both prior and after traveling to Orlando. Prior to travel, these tests include two Polymerase Chain Reaction ("PCR") tests 24 hours apart. Players will also undergo a baseline serology (antibody) test as part of a physical exam that also includes a temperature check and the completion of a screening questionnaire.

Players, coaches and support staff will be tested every other day for two weeks after arriving in Florida. Those individuals, as well as referees will then be tested regularly, including prior to each matchday.

What other steps is MLS taking to prevent players and staff from contracting COVID-19?

In conjunction with leading health experts, MLS has created guidelines and best practices to help reduce risk and prevent spread of COVID-19. These include wearing face coverings / face masks, social distancing, general hygiene (avoid touching face, washing hands frequently, avoid sharing food, bottles, towels or equipment, etc.), as well as disinfecting surfaces. These guidelines will be extended for matches.

Players, coaches and officials are asked to exercise care when spitting or clearing their nose during games, and those sitting on the bench are required to wear masks and practice social distancing to the maximum extent possible. Players involved in the game are asked not to exchange jerseys or kiss the ball.

The Walt Disney World Resort and the Swan and Dolphin Hotel will be providing enhanced cleaning of all venues and enforcing appropriate capacity management and other social distancing guidelines.

Is everyone at the complex getting tested?

The definition of "essential personnel" doesn't include everyone. Individuals working at the hotels and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will undergo self-temperature screenings and a standardized screening questionnaire, but they will not be tested. A positive response to the daily questionnaire or a temperature check above 100.3 degrees must be reported, and the individual in question will be isolated immediately and PCR testing will be performed.

The lack of testing would seem to create a vulnerability in the "bubble" that MLS has created, but Garber said he isn't worried.

"Those staff/people will not be coming in close contact with our players," Garber said. "And if they were going to be in close contact, we would manage it through a different protocol. So we're all going to be living in a world where we're not going to be able to test every person that comes in contact with each other or comes in contact with us as we go on with our with our lives."

What happens if someone tests positive?

Prior to traveling to Orlando, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will not travel and will be isolated and overseen by club medical staff. Contact tracing will also be triggered to identify close contacts. Individuals whose test reveals they had a previous COVID-19 infection may travel to Orlando if they are no longer symptomatic.

If an individual tests positive while in Orlando, an isolation protocol will be implemented for the player along with contact tracing.

In terms of what would happen if there were multiple positive tests, Garber said there is no specific protocol in terms of the tipping point that would cause the tournament to be suspended or canceled.

"It's why we're so focused on regular testing and ensure that we do what we need to do to keep our players safe," said Garber.

Given that the NBA will be in that location part of the time, what level of collaboration was there between the two leagues and Disney?

In the wake of the pandemic, sources tell ESPN that MLS has been in close contact with other sports leagues, collaborating on such issues as human resources, legal and security. That includes the NBA, where Garber and NBA commissioner Adam Silver have a collegial relationship that sees them meeting every several months. That level of contact has increased given the upheaval the sports world has undergone.

But in terms of the Orlando tournament, Garber told ESPN.com that there has "not been a lot of contact" between MLS and the NBA. Rather, the conversations have been with Disney executives in a bid to make sure the tournament runs smoothly.

"We've been negotiating and dealing with Disney and our hotels to determine what our needs are operationally," Garber told ESPN.com. "I haven't had those conversations, but our staff has with Disney to ensure that we are able to both be accommodated in a very large resort, and that both leagues' needs are being met."

Will these games count towards the regular season standings?

Yes and no. The group stage games will count in the standings in the standard sense -- three points for a win, one point for a tie -- while the knockout stage games won't count at all.

So what's to stop teams from putting all of their efforts into the group stage and none thereafter? A purse of $1.1 million should do the trick, though we don't yet know the breakdown of how this money is allocated. The winner of the tournament will also secure a spot in next year's CONCACAF Champions League.

What about the regular season schedule after this is over?

MLS is hoping that by the time the tournament ends on Aug. 11, restrictions around the country will have loosened up enough that games can be held in a team's home stadium. Those games are likely to happen without fans, though MLS commissioner Don Garber even offered the hope that if the situation improves enough, fans might be able to attend games before the season is out.

"Whether or not we'll have any markets with fans is also uncertain but we're also hearing about different guidelines that have been established state by state where

there's even a possibility that some fans might be able to attend games."

The hope is that the league will get an extra 18 games in after Orlando, which would make for a 23-game regular season. That's about two-thirds of a normal league schedule. One scenario has MLS Cup being played in mid-December, but the situation remains fluid.

(Editor's Note: ESPN is owned by the Walt Disney Company.)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers have had no discussions about returning the Jerry Richardson statue to Bank of America Stadium and the team founder has no plan to legally fight to have it returned.

"He's turned the pages,'' Jim Gray, a spokesperson for Richardson, said Thursday. "He's moved on. The statue is not his focus.''

According to a report by the Charlotte Observer, citing sources, the removal of the statue is permanent.

The 12-foot statue was removed from the North entrance of the stadium on Wednesday with the team citing public safety concerns amid the racial unrest in the country.

Richardson sold the team in 2018 amid allegations of racial and sexual misconduct. There were concerns that protesters might tear down the statue. Other statues connected to racial injustice around the country have been pulled down by protesters since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody on Memorial Day.

The removal of the Richardson statue began on Wednesday and was completed around 10:30 that night. It was kept on a flatbed in a storage area underneath the stadium through the night with the plan to move it to an undisclosed storage facility on Thursday.

New owner David Tepper was contractually obligated through the purchase of the stadium for $2.275 billion in 2018 to keep the statue where it had been since Richardson's limited partners presented it to him in 2016.

The safety issues gave Tepper an out to remove the statue.

Tepper is looking to build a domed stadium for the NFL team within the next 10 years. He would not be contractually obligated to put Richardson's statue outside that facility.

World champion runs 33.78 and Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks European 2000m record with 4:50.01 in front of a cardboard cutout crowd and TV viewers around the world

Karsten Warholm stormed to the quickest outdoor 300m hurdles time in history on Thursday, clocking 33.78 as the Diamond League returned in an exhibition event format in Oslo.

The behind-closed-doors ‘Impossible Games’, held within Norway’s infection control requirements due to the coronavirus pandemic, replaced the traditional Oslo Bislett Games meeting and saw athletes compete in front of a cardboard cutout crowd as well as TV viewers around the world.

The action was not just in Norway, as a team 2000m featured a European best by Jakob Ingebrigtsen as he and his team-mates in Oslo raced against athletes including Timothy Cheruiyot and Elijah Manangoi in a wet Nairobi. Meanwhile, in a battle between the current and former world pole vault record-holders, Mondo Duplantis secured success in the Bislett Stadium ahead of Renaud Lavillenie, who was competing in his own back garden in France.

Record breakers

It was just Warholm against the clock in the men’s 300m hurdles as he took to the track alone, targeting the 34.48 which had been set by Britain’s Chris Rawlinson in 2002.

Starting next to a cardboard cutout of himself in the stands, Norway’s two-time world 400m hurdles champion blasted out of the blocks and didn’t let up, going on to take 0.70 off the previous best.

“I am used to competing against myself in training,” he said. “It’s better to do it alone than to not do it at all.”

"I am used to competing against myself in training! It's better to do it alone than to not do it at all." @kwarholm on smashing the 300m hurdles world best at the #ImpossibleGames

? Eirik Førde / Bislett Alliance pic.twitter.com/RHrDpo4wKC

— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) June 11, 2020

A close women’s race was won by Denmark’s Olympic silver medallist Sara Slott Petersen in 39.42 ahead of Amalie Iuel in 39.44. Lea Sprunger, trying a new stride pattern, was third in 39.86.

The event had British middle-distance great Steve Cram back on BBC commentary and it was his long-standing European 2000m record which was broken by Ingebrigtsen.

Clocking 4:50.01, the double European champion improved on Cram’s 4:51.39 from 1985, with that time also moving the 19-year-old to sixth on the world all-time list.

His brothers Henrik and Filip ran 4:53.72 and 4:56.91 respectively in second and third, with Filip also having broken the Norwegian 1000m record with 2:16.46 in another race less than an hour earlier.

‘Team Ingebrigtsen’ won ahead of ‘Team Cheruiyot’, who had to contend with challenging weather conditions and altitude in Nairobi.

There Kenya’s world 1500m champion Cheruiyot was fastest, clocking 5:03.05 ahead of Edwin Melly with 5:13.12 and Manangoi who ran 5:18.63.

Poles apart

After being crowned joint champions of the inaugural ‘Ultimate Garden Clash’, Duplantis and Lavillenie were back in action but in another remote contest.

Sweden’s Duplantis was among the athletes competing in Oslo, while Lavillenie had already recorded his vaults at home in France and they were being revealed in real time as the competition played out.

Duplantis was the first to clear 5.71m as he managed it first time, while Lavillenie, competing off a shortened approach, needed all three attempts.

They both soared over 5.81m on their first tries and Duplantis had the competition won with his clearance of 5.86m before three unsuccessful attempts at 6.01m.

“I wanted to jump a little bit higher but I knew I wasn’t in the best shape of my life right now,” said world silver medallist Duplantis. “I know I’m rusty!”

"I wanted to jump a little bit higher but I knew I wasn't in the best shape of my life right now. I know I'm rusty!"@mondohoss600 on winning the pole vault at 5.86m.#ImpossibleGames

? Eirik Førde / Bislett Alliance pic.twitter.com/urNVudIlsY

— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) June 11, 2020

The men’s discus was won by Sweden’s world champion Daniel Stahl with a 65.92m throw.

Another Norwegian record fell as Line Kloster won the 200m hurdles in 26.11 but there was no such joy in the 3000m for Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal, who had been set to target Grete Waitz’s 8:31.75, as she withdrew mid run after struggling with injury in the lead-up.

There was also a second European best broken as Sondre Nordstad Moen clocked 1:12:46.5 to move to second on the world all-time list in the rarely-run 25,000m, while cross-country skier Therese Johaug ran a PB of 31:40.67 in the solo women’s 10,000m.

The women’s 600m saw Selina Büchel storm out of the blocks but she was unable to maintain the pace and Hedda Hynne came through to win in 1:29.06 over Büchel’s 1:30.10.

Results can be found here.

GRAHAM, N.C. — A judge in Alamance County (N.C.) has granted a temporary restraining order against Ace Speedway, which will stop the track from hosting races with more than 25 fans in attendance.

The order forces the track to abide by the North Carolina re-opening plan, which limits gatherings indoors to fewer than 10 people and gatherings outdoors to fewer than 25 people as the state continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Tom Lambeth heard arguments from attorneys representing Ace Speedway’s promoters Robert and Jason Turner and the state before making his decision.

“Based on all of the materials I’ve reviewed and the arguments of counsel the appropriate ruling is, I am going to grant a temporary restraining order,” Judge Lambeth said. “I’m going to restrain and adjoin Ace Speedway and any of the entities associated with it from holding any races until we can have another hearing in this matter.”

Both parties are expected back in court for the at 9:30 a.m. on June 19.

The entire court hearing can be viewed here.

Ace Speedway was ordered closed and deemed an “imminent hazard” on Tuesday by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper after the track ignored the state’s mandate limiting outdoor gatherings to 25 people or less. The track hosted races on three different weekends that saw fans fill the grandstands.

The order issued by Gov. Cooper required the track to notify the public by 5 p.m. that its upcoming racing schedule has been canceled through June 22, however, track officials ignored that order prior to Thursday’s court hearing.

In a statement posted on the Ace Speedway Facebook page, the Turners confirmed events on June 13 and June 19 have been canceled, while also thanking those who supported the track.

“Due to the TRO placed on Ace Speedway, Thursday open practice has been canceled. Also, our June 13 and June 19 events have been canceled,” the statement said. “We want to thank everyone for their unwavering support. We will resume our season as soon as possible.”

Ace Speedway remains available for track rentals by appointment only, with 25 people or less being allowed on the property at any given time.

“Thank you to our local officials who have stood by their beliefs. Thank you to our fans, our employees, our sponsors and our race teams who have expressed their support through the good and the bad. Continue to stick with us, this does not mean 2020 is over, just on hold. Continue to follow the Ace Speedway Facebook page for updates on future event planning. You won’t want to miss our season re-opener,” the statement concluded.

KNOXVILLE, Iowa – With national titles in a USAC Midget and Sprint Car checked off his list, open-wheel standout Tyler Courtney has his sights on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

The 26-year-old Indianapolis, Ind., native, known as “Sunshine” to many, is running for the USAC National Midget title again this year with Clauson Marshall Racing, but also has a handful of winged sprint car races scheduled with the team.

Several of those races will be with the World of Outlaws, including this weekend at Knoxville Raceway for the June 12-13 Brownells Big Guns Bash. Courtney is among a star-studded entry of more than 50 drivers that include reigning champion Brad Sweet, 10-time Series champion Donny Schatz, three-time Series champion Sammy Swindell, Kyle Larson and Kasey Kahne.

It’s all in preparation to help him make the next step in his career.

“If I can make it to the Outlaws, that’s kind of my next goal right now,” Courtney said. “I’ve done what I’ve wanted to do in the USAC non-wing and midget kind of things. My next step is to become a World of Outlaw and see if I can do this with these guys night in and night out.”

Courtney made a good impression his first night out with the Series at Lake Ozark Speedway in May. He won his Drydene Heat Race and earned a career best 11th place finish in his NOS Energy Drink Turbo No. 7BC – his previous best finish with the World of Outlaws was 16th at Eldora Speedway in 2016.

The result exceeded his own expectations and left him wanting more.

“I was kind of bummed because I thought we could run top-10 from where we started,” Courtney said. “But when you run 11th and look at the 10 guys that ran ahead of you, it’s kind of hard to be disappointed in it. Coming to run with these guys, it’s not easy. They make it look easy when you watch them on DIRTVision and things like that, but when you come and do it in person it is a whole different story.

His following night at the track didn’t fare as well. While he made the Feature, contact in the first few laps with Kerry Madsen took them both out of the event.

In his first two races with the Series this year, Courtney said he learned there’s no room for error with the Outlaws.

“When you come here, your mistakes get pointed out more because these guys are… this is their job,” Courtney said. “This is what they do night in and night out. If you make a mistake, they’re going to pounce on it. That’s how it goes.

“It’s a lot of fun racing with the Outlaws. These guys are for real. I’ve told people that if you think you’re good at racing, come race with the Outlaws. You’ll find out how good you really are.”

One of the most valuable lessons he learned while racing against drivers like Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz is you have to be aggressive, he said. They’re not going to wait for you, so you can’t wait for them.

While it takes him a lap to get into a rhythm with his car, World of Outlaws drivers are tuned in from the second they touch the throttle, he said.

“You take one lap here to do anything with these guys you’re losing spots,” Courtney said. “If I can take that from a lap to a half a lap or no lap at all, I feel like I’ll have a better chance. But this is what I wanted to do. This is the challenge I wanted to take on.”

Aside from his one bad night with the World of Outlaws, Courtney has been strong in every winged Sprint Car start he’s made this year. He won his first night out with the car at St. Francois County Raceway and recently finished third at a track event at Knoxville Raceway.

Courtney has already proven to be a natural in a non-winged car, with 26 National USAC Sprint Car wins, the 2018 USAC National Sprint Car title, 13 USAC Nationals Midget win, the 2019 USAC National Midget title and two USAC National Silver Crown wins.

He knows there’s still a learning curve to conquer before being able to compete with the likes of Sweet and Schatz each week, but also knows he can rely on friends like Kyle Larson, who have come from the USAC ranks, and even drivers like Sweet.

“Brad (Sweet) the other night, he got done flipping really hard and I went to check on him and he’s telling me things that I need to do different,” Courtney said with a chuckle. “I’m like ‘Dude, you just flipped your car. You don’t need to be helping me.’ He’s like, ‘You could have done this, and it would have helped you here and there.’ It’s just really cool to come here and a guy like Brad, your defending champion… that’s a champion through and through right there. To be able to obviously be worried about what he has to do for the rest of the night, but to take the time and help a guy.”

No matter how many World of Outlaws races Courtney gets to run this year, he’s ready to get after the next step in his career.

HOLLY, Mich. — Must See Racing President Jim Hanks has announced the launch of Must See Racing TV, a subscription-based streaming network that will enhance the sanctioning body’s digital content offerings.

Must See Racing TV — located on the web at MustSeeRacing.tv — is part of the SPEED SPORT Network and expands on Must See Racing’s longstanding partnership with Turn 3 Media, LLC, the parent company of SPEED SPORT and Sprint Car & Midget Magazine.

“We’re thrilled to welcome MustSeeRacing.tv to the SPEED SPORT Network.” said Joe Tripp, CEO of SPEED SPORT. “Jim Hanks and Must See Racing have long been an important partner for us, and his events are a mainstay of our primetime lineup on MAVTV. Adding the live and on-demand streaming element completes the process for Must See Racing and enhances Jim’s ability to market his events, support his sponsors and teams and give fans one more way to watch.”

Must See Racing’s entertainment brand has been featured on national television through the award-winning SPEED SPORT presented by Hendrick Automotive Group series on MAVTV.

That association will continue in 2020, supplemented by various live broadcasts on Must See Racing TV.

The first of those live broadcasts will be the June 20 Indy Summer Nationals from Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis. The event will be available to a worldwide audience via pay-per-view.

The Indy Summer Nationals will feature the headlining Must See Racing Sprint Car Series presented by Engine Pro, the Midwest Supermodified Series and the Midwest Compact Touring Series.

Every lap of all three divisions, from qualifying through the last main event, will be broadcast live. Pay-per-view passes for the Indy Summer Nationals are $25 and can be ordered through MustSeeRacing.tv.

After several years of successful television coverage through SPEED SPORT on MAVTV, Must See Racing President Jim Hanks is looking forward to adding live-event streaming for his events and is eager to see the Indy Summer Nationals play out in front of the Must See Racing TV cameras.

“We’ve had so much positive feedback over the last few years on our MAVTV and SPEED SPORT television programs that when the SPEED SPORT Network was launched over the winter, we knew we wanted Must See Racing to be a part of it,” said Hanks. “Having everything come to fruition now and launching Must See Racing TV with what we expect to be one of the biggest events that we’ve put on in our 10-year history, is just icing on the cake. It’s a huge moment for us, our drivers and teams and our valued fans.

“We can’t thank everyone from SPEED SPORT TV enough for helping to put all the pieces in place and we’re looking forward to our first live-streamed broadcast next weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway,” Hanks continued. “Lucas Oil has a lot of history in racing, but it has been many years since sprint cars put on a show there and we’re honored and privileged to be a part of the return of sprint car racing to LOR.”

Following the live broadcast on Must See Racing TV, the Indy Summer Nationals will debut on SPEED SPORT presented by Hendrick Automotive Group on MAVTV at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 6.

SPEED SPORT President Ralph Sheheen will host the MAVTV telecast, with IndyCar Radio’s Ryan Myrehn serving as the pit reporter.

For more information on Must See Racing TV, visit www.mustseeracing.com or www.mustseeracing.tv.

For more information on the SPEED SPORT Network, visit www.speedsport.tv.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Two hours after play restarted on the PGA Tour at the Charles Schwab Challenge, the competition halted again for a moment of silence for George Floyd, whose death after being pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer has prompted nationwide outrage and protests against racial injustice and police violence.

All week at Colonial and at the Korn Ferry Tour event at TPC Sawgrass, officials are setting aside the 8:46 a.m. tee time for a moment of silence to honor Floyd, who was under the Minneapolis police officer's knee for eight minutes, 46 seconds according to prosecutors.

“It was an awesome tribute to Mr. Floyd. It’s an unfortunate situation, everything that’s gone on. It’s a tough situation for that to happen and all the outcomes after that. Just to be able to support him and support Black Lives Matter, it was cool,” said Cameron Champ, one of four players on Tour of black heritage.

In a message from Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, the moment of silence is an attempt “to amplify the voices and efforts underway to end systemic issues of racial and social injustices impacting our country.”

For Tom Lehman, a 61-year-old regular on the PGA Tour Champions who is moonlighting this week as a former champion at Colonial, the moment hit particularly close to home, having been born and raised in Minnesota.

“I think everybody needs to feel deeply what happened and to hurt deeply because of what happened to George Floyd,” Lehman said. “Everybody needs to understand that when you have an absolute disregard for the suffering or pain of somebody else, or the death that you cause on somebody else, if you have no regard for that, you are a part of the problem, and you need to get your sh*t together.”

The Tour plans to hold the minute of silence at 8:46 a.m. for all four rounds this week.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Since we last saw him March, Bryson DeChambeau hit the gym and gained about 20 pounds.

Gary Woodland also hit the gym – and lost about 25 pounds.

On Thursday at the Charles Schwab Challenge, they both shot 5-under 65.

For DeChambeau, his mid-pandemic work is the continuation of the intense workout regimen he added during the offseason, with an eye on gaining speed.

“It doesn't mean I'm going to hit it farther, but I've done a lot of speed training to attain these new ball speeds,” DeChambeau explained. “When I was out here, I was attaining ball speeds of 193, 195 [mph] on certain holes, and quite honestly I can't use it out here [at Colonial]. There's only a couple holes I can use it: No. 11 and No. 1 and No. 2, really.”

DeChambeau, who said he now weighs around 240 pounds (up more than 40 pounds from last September), was limited by Colonial's layout, but he still hit four drives of 330 yards or longer, including a 353-yarder on the first hole, which he birdied, and a 354-yard drive that he pulled well left at the par-5 11th. Both drives were field-bests in terms of distance.

For Woodland, the weight loss was more of a byproduct of the quarantine and a desire to use the time off to get himself in better shape.

“We don't get a big offseason. We usually only have a couple weeks off, and at the end of the season I want to go on vacation and want to do something fun,” he said. “For me, obviously, we couldn't go anywhere, couldn't do anything, so I stayed home, I trained hard, changed the diet a little bit, and I lost a lot of weight.”

Woodland said he hopes the slimmed-down version of himself will help during what promises to be a busy stretch of golf for everyone. He plans to play 10 of the next 13 weeks.

“I have a lot of stuff coming up at the end of the year. I wanted to get my body in a position where I could play a lot more and play a lot better,” he said.

Justin Rose seems pretty comfortable with life as a free agent.

The former world No. 1 shined Thursday at the Charles Schwab Challenge, firing a bogey-free 63 to take a one-shot lead after the morning wave. The low score shouldn't be a surprise given the clinical performance Rose authored at this event two years ago, shooting four straight rounds of 66 or better to cruise to a three-shot win.

But the Englishman had been struggling before the Tour's three-month hiatus, and last month he officially announced his split from equipment manufacturer Honma. Rose signed with the Japanese company in 2019, winning at Torrey Pines last year in his second start with the clubs, but has largely struggled since while falling from first to 14th in the world rankings.

Rose played with gear from multiple manufacturers in his most recent start at Bay Hill, the first sign of an impending split from Honma. He has maintained a mixed bag this week at Colonial, albeit with a heavy influence from TaylorMade, whose equipment he used for the first two decades of his pro career.

"I spent a lot of years at TaylorMade, so I felt like I needed just to get a bit of a baseline on my game, and using the (TaylorMade) SIM driver, SIM 3-wood, got a little Cobra 5-wood in there, which has been a nice find," Rose told reporters. "And then P730s through the bag and then (Titleist) Vokey wedges, and then my Axis1 putter, which has been a staple for me the last couple of years."

Rose started on the back nine and birdied three of his first four holes, making the turn in 4-under 31. He added three more birdies from there and picked up nearly 3.3 strokes against the field on the greens. After missing the cut in three of four PGA Tour starts this year, he appears likely to stay through the weekend in Fort Worth.

"The good thing is I feel like I didn't max everything out today," Rose said. "Yes, my short game was good, my putting was good, but I feel like there's another level there or another gear or two with the long game."

Major League Soccer held its draw for the MLS is Back Tournament as the league prepares to return to action at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on July 8 in Kissimmee, Florida.

The Eastern Conference portion of the draw saw Canadian rivals Toronto FC and Montreal Impact drawn against one another in Group C and 2018 MLS Cup champions Atlanta United paired with the Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati and the New York Red Bulls.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- MLS is Back! Games available on ESPN networks

On the Western Conference side of the draw, defending MLS Cup winners Seattle Sounders were the seeded team in Group B and were paired with Cascadia rivals Vancouver. In Group F, LAFC was picked alongside the LA Galaxy, Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers.

The tournament will consist of a group stage with each team playing three matches, followed by a knockout stage. The final will be played Aug. 11. The teams were drawn into six groups, with the top two teams in each group, plus the four best third-place finishers, qualifying for the round of 16.

GROUP A (Eastern Conference)
1. Orlando City SC*
2. Inter Miami CF
3. New York City FC
4. Philadelphia Union
5. Chicago Fire
6. Nashville SC

GROUP B (Western Conference)
1. Seattle Sounders*
2. FC Dallas
3. Vancouver Whitecaps
4. San Jose Earthquakes

GROUP C (Eastern Conference)
1. Toronto FC*
2. New England Revolution
3. Montreal Impact
4. D.C. United

GROUP D (Western Conference)
1. Real Salt Lake*
2. Sporting Kansas City
3. Colorado Rapids
4. Minnesota United

GROUP E (Eastern Conference)
1. Atlanta United*
2. FC Cincinnati
3. New York Red Bulls
4. Columbus Crew SC

GROUP F (Western Conference)
1. LAFC*
2. LA Galaxy
3. Houston Dynamo
4. Portland Timbers

* denotes seeded team in each group

All of the group stage matches will count in the regular-season standings, with the winner of the tournament earning a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League, regardless of whether it is a U.S. or Canadian club. The first match pits MLS' Florida teams Orlando City and Inter Miami in Group A against one another, with a total of 54 matches played over the course of the tournament.

Teams will begin to head to Orlando starting on June 24, though arrival dates will vary because most teams will prefer to train in their home facilities. Teams must arrive no later than seven days before their first match.

In addition to matches that count in the regular-season standings and the Champions League berth, players will have the opportunity to earn additional bonuses as part of a $1.1 million prize pool.

"We are pleased to team up with Disney to relaunch the 2020 MLS season and get back to playing soccer," MLS commissioner Don Garber said on Wednesday. "The opportunity to have all 26 clubs in a controlled environment enables us to help protect the health of our players, coaches and staff as we return to play."

MLS has been shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic since March 12, when the regular season was just two matches old.