Intermediate Little League World Series Called Off: Coronavirus

LIVERMORE, CA — Little League has canceled its seven World Series events, including the Intermediate (50/70) Little League World Series in Livermore due to concerns about the new coronavirus, the league announced. Little League will also cancel its 82 regional qualifying tournaments and the 2020 MLB Little League Classic, originally slated for August 23.

Teams around the globe said they would not be able to play in or travel to tournaments, Little League said. Events would need to have testing and mitigation protocols in place.

Federal officials advised the league that international travel restrictions and immigration requirements would further complicate things, Little League said.

"We have never had to cancel our World Series tournaments, but, right now, as our world comes together, we must do everything we can to help stem the spread of this deadly virus,” said Hugh E. Tanner, who chairs the Little League International Board of Directors, in the statement.

Little League said in a statement that it plans to resume operations in 2021 and will credit back $1.2 million in 2020 affiliation fees paid by chartered teams. The funds may be used for expenses related to the Little League.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said mass gatherings — such as sporting events or concerts — will not resume until there is a vaccine and herd immunity.

Here are the other Little League World Series events that have been canceled:

• Little League Baseball (South Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
• Little League Softball (Greenville, North Carolina)
• Junior League Baseball (Taylor, Michigan)
• Junior League Softball (Kirkland, Washington)
• Senior League Baseball (Easley, South Carolina)
• Senior League Softball (Sussex County, Delaware)

Read more about the closures here.