Michigan Governor Clears Pro Sports Leagues to Resume Play in State Without Fans

Michigan professional sports teams are allowed to resume play in the state following an executive order from Governor Gretchen Whitmer, per ESPN's Paula Lavigne.  

"Good news, sports fans," Whitmer said in a statement. "We are now ready to gradually and safely allow professional sports to resume in Michigan. While this is an encouraging step in the reopening of our economy, it is critical for athletes to continue social distancing and taking precautions to stay safe."

All participants must maintain six feet of separation as best as possible and follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, per Lavigne.

Fans are not allowed to attend professional sporting events at this time, but facility staff and media can go to stadiums.

The Detroit Tigers should be the first of the state's major professional teams allowed to play following this executive order.

Training camp is slated to begin in early July, with the team set to host games as early as Thursday, July 23, when MLB's 60-game season is on pace to begin following a four-month delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Detroit Lions are set to take part in training camp in late July before hosting a pair of scheduled preseason games in August. Their regular season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, Sept. 13.

The Detroit Red Wings' and Detroit Pistons' seasons are over.

The Pistons did return to their practice facility in early June after the Governor lifted the state's stay-at-home order, per NBA.com.

However, the team (and the league's other 29 franchises) were under strict guidelines from the NBA for voluntary workouts, including allowing no more than four players in the facility at the same time and banning any group activities.

Per the state's official website, confirmed COVID-19 cases have gone down drastically in the past few months. A high of 1,532 new cases on March 30 has fallen to 115 on Wednesday.