XFL Cancels Remainder of 2020 Regular Season Following Coronavirus Outbreak

The XFL will be be canceling its remaining regular-season games in 2020 amid coronavirus concerns, the league announced Thursday.

The XFL will be be canceling its remaining regular-season games in 2020 amid coronavirus concerns, the league announced Thursday.

The move follows a similar path as other major American sports leagues, including the NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS, who all suspended in their operations in the last 24 hours following concerns over the pandemic. The 2020 men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments were also canceled on Thursday.

According to the XFL's official release, "all players will be paid their base pay and benefits for the 2020 regular season. All XFL ticket holders will be issued refunds or credit towards future games.

"The XFL is committed to playing a full season in 2021 and future years."

An earlier incarnation of the XFL made its debut in 2001. This latest version had just finished the halfway point of its regular season. The 2020 XFL started with positive TV ratings and had seemingly maintained interest to this point.

"This is crazy," quarterback P.J. Walker, one of the league's biggest stars and the signal-caller on the 5-0 Houston Roughnecks, tweeted.

The XFL had already decided to play this week’s Los Angeles-Seattle game without fans.

The XFL did not explicitly state whether postseason games would also be canceled. The postseason originally had semifinal games scheduled for April 18-19 with the final in Houston on April 26.

As of Thursday afternoon, there were more than 127,000 confirmed cases of the virus globally across at least 111 countries.