The latest news as the coronavirus outbreak disrupts the sports world. Pull down the page to refresh. (All times ET.)

What you need to know

• The coronavirus began to affect North American sports in a major way Wednesday after the World Health Organization officially declared its spread a pandemic.
• The NBA suspended its season indefinitely in an unprecedented move late Wednesday. The decision came after a Utah Jazz player - believed to be Rudy Gobert - tested positive for COVID-19. Utah-Oklahoma City and New Orleans-Sacramento were both postponed Wednesday night.
• The NCAA announced Wednesday afternoon that the upcoming Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments will be held with only essential staff and limited family in attendance.

March 12 (Last update: 9 a.m.)

No autographs at The Players

The Players Championship is underway in Florida, but the PGA Tour announced Thursday morning that golfers won't be signing autographs or interacting with fans as they normally would at a tournament.

McLaren out of Aussie GP

McLaren Racing announced its withdrawal from the Australian Grand Prix after a team member tested positive for the coronavirus.

La Liga suspended

Real Madrid players are in quarantine and La Liga announced a suspension of play for at least the next two matchdays.

March 11

NHL mulling options

The NHL is evaluating its options after the NBA's shocking suspension announcement Wednesday. The league is consulting with medical experts and is scheduled to provide a further update Thursday.

Restricted access at college tourneys

Major college conferences announced that championship basketball tournaments scheduled for the rest of the week will take place with limited fan access.

NFL examining draft plans

The 2020 NFL Draft is currently scheduled for late April in Las Vegas. The NFL, NFLPA, and city and state officials are working together to determine whether one of the league's marquee events can go ahead as planned.

MLB, A's working on solution

The Oakland A's are working with MLB to come up with alternative plans for the club's season-opening seven-game homestand beginning March 26. Oakland and Alameda County have instituted a ban on large gatherings.

Spring college football games being axed

Ohio State and Michigan canceled their spring games scheduled for April 11 and 18, respectively. The Wolverines also announced that coaches won't be allowed to host prospects or go on recruiting trips until April 21.

Sharks to play behind closed doors

The NHL's San Jose Sharks announced they'll play in an empty SAP Center through the remainder of March due to a ban on large gatherings in Santa Clara County, California.

Ohio to ban mass gatherings

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday the state will order a ban on mass gatherings. That will affect numerous sporting events, including the NCAA Tournament (games are scheduled in Cleveland and Dayton), the NBA's Cavaliers, and the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.

Seattle teams forced to alter plans

The Mariners are working to relocate two home series due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Seattle, where a ban was ordered on crowds of more than 250 people. The club's spring-training home in Peoria, Arizona, is reportedly being considered as an option.

The XFL's Seattle Dragons will host the Los Angeles Wildcats on Sunday without fans in attendance at CenturyLink Field.

Teams altering scouting plans

The NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens grounded their North American scouts as the virus continues to proliferate.

NFL teams are also changing their pre-draft travel plans. Scouts from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles will reportedly sit out the pro-day circuit.

European hockey seasons shelved

Professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL) canceled the remainder of their seasons due to the outbreak in Europe.

Figure Skating worlds called off

The World Figure Skating Championships scheduled to take place in Montreal next week have been canceled.

Fed Cup finals postponed

The Fed Cup finals scheduled April 14-19 in Budapest, Hungary, have been postponed indefinitely. No makeup date has been announced.

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USA Hockey has canceled its upcoming national championships and disabled festival amid fears over the coronavirus outbreak.

"Safety of our participants has always been our top priority and with the current coronavirus situation, our executive committee unanimously decided to cancel the national championship and disabled festival," USA Hockey president Jim Smith said in a statement Wednesday.

The series of national championship events include high school, youth, girls, adult, and sled that were set to begin in various locations across the country on March 26, according to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.

The National Hockey League said in a statement Wednesday that it will continue to consult with medical professionals while evaluating its options.

Several other top-level competitions, including professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL), have canceled the remainder of their campaigns due to the outbreak of the virus in Europe.

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The NHL is consulting with medical experts and evaluating its options after the NBA suspended its season amid the coronavirus outbreak, the league said in a statement Wednesday.

A further update will be provided Thursday.

The NBA season was suspended indefinitely Wednesday after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

The NHLPA released a statement saying it's in continuous contact with the NHL regarding the coronavirus and the NBA's announcement and will consult with players before commenting further.

Eleven NHL teams share a venue with an NBA club that plays out of the same city.

Both the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets already announced that their home games will be closed to the public for the foreseeable future.

The league closed all locker rooms to media over the weekend.

Several other competitions, including top-level professional hockey leagues in Germany (DEL) and Austria (EBEL) have canceled the remainder of their seasons due to the outbreak of the virus in Europe.

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.

The 31-year-old leads the Knights in both goals (32) and points (66). Vegas is already without two-way forward Mark Stone, who leads the team with 42 assists and ranks second in points with 63. Alex Tuch, who would've been able to jump into the top six with the pair of injuries, is also sidelined.

Pacioretty was traded from the Montreal Canadiens in September 2018 in exchange for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki, and a 2019 second-round pick. A day after the trade, he signed a four-year, $28-million extension that began this season.

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Vancouver Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.

Tanev, 30, suffered the injury during Tuesday's 5-4 shootout victory over the New York Islanders. He played just four shifts during the third period and did not appear in overtime.

The 6-foot-2 rearguard ranks second on the club in blocked shots (159) and has recorded 20 points through 69 games this season.

Vancouver has lost five of its last seven games and sits tied for the final Western Conference wild-card berth entering Wednesday's action.

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The San Jose Sharks will play in an empty SAP Center for the rest of the month amid concerns over the coronavirus, the team announced Wednesday.

On Monday, Santa Clara County implemented a three-week ban on all large gatherings that began Wednesday.

The Sharks have three home games during this stretch: March 19 vs. the Canadiens, March 21 vs. the Bruins, and March 29 vs. the Coyotes. They also have a pair of home games on April 2 and April 4 to close out the season.

San Jose officially becomes the second NHL team to close its doors to fans after the Columbus Blue Jackets announced Wednesday they'll follow Ohio's ban on mass gatherings.

Elsewhere around the sports world, the NCAA announced Wednesday that the men's and women's basketball tournaments will be played without fans.

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith roasted his former team Wednesday when discussing the possibility of playing games without fans present due to the coronavirus outbreak.

"I played in an empty building for a couple years in Florida so I'm used to it," Smith said, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Wednesday they'll play Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins without fans in attendance. The San Jose Sharks will play home games in an empty rink for the rest of the month.

Smith spent two seasons with the Panthers from 2015-2017 before the team traded him to Vegas at the expansion draft for a fourth-round pick. The Panthers exposed Jonathan Marchessault in the expansion selection as a favor to the Golden Knights for taking on Smith's contract, which was deemed problematic with Smith coming off a 37-point season.

In three years with Vegas, Smith has tallied 167 points in 212 games - a 65-point pace over 82 contests. The 28-year-old is in the third season of a five-year, $25-million deal he signed with the Panthers in 2016.

Florida ranks 29th in attendance this season, averaging 14,104 spectators per game, according to ESPN.

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