Grab Some Beers And Get The Recliner Ready For These Top Sporting Events
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Sports Editor
Play ball!
Gentlemen start your engines.
And now on the first tee…
Sports are here and happening in 2021.
Yes, the leagues, teams and athletes are under strict COVID-19 protocols and fans are only allowed into a few events. But there’s TV, which is how most fans are getting their sports fix right now and to help plan your weekend or even weeks and months in advance, here is a list of the major sporting events around the world for 2021 with the dates and locations.
• Feb. 7 – Super Bowl LV, Tampa Fla.
TV: CBS.
• Feb. 8-21 – Australian Open tennis, Melbourne Fla.
The world’s top tennis players take part in the first major of the year. Normally held in January, the tournament is in February in 2021 for the first time in its history. Winners: Novak Djokovic (men), Naomi Osaka (women)
TV: ESPN2 and ESPN+ with live streams on WatchESPN.
• Feb. 14 – Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway
The first event of the NASCAR season is also its biggest of the year – the Super Bowl of stock car racin’, in fact. Winner: Michael McDowell
• March 19-April 5 – March Madness, Indiana
The state of Indiana is hosting all the games. Here is the schedule:
–First Round: March 19-20
– Second Round: March 21-22
The First Four and first and second rounds will be played at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Assembly Hall in Bloomington, along with Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
– Sweet 16: March 27-28.
The venues are Bankers Life Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse
– Elite 8: March 29-30, Lucas Oil Stadium.
– Final Four: April 3 & 5, Lucas Oil Stadium
TV: CBS, TBS, TNT, truTV
• April 5-11 – The Masters, August, GA
This traditional event returns to its traditional early April date for 2021.
TV: ESPN, CBS
• May 20-May 23 – PGA Championship, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
This Pete Dye-designed course is quite a challenge, along the windy marshes of the South Carolina coast. It’s a bit like the courses in Scotland and Ireland with a Low Country touch to it.
TV: CBS, ESPN
• May 22-July 22 – NBA Playoffs
Fan capacity is 20-25% for NBA games. The playoffs conclude the NBA’s 75th regular season.
TV: ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV
• May 30 – Indy 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The “greatest spectacle in racing” is back on its Sunday or Memorial Day Weekend date. For pics of he wild Snakepit infield party scene, click here.
TV: NBC
June 17-20 – US Open Golf, Torrey Pines in San Diego, CA
TV: NBC, Golf Channel
• June 28-July 11 – Wimbledon, All-England Tennis Club
Defending champion Novak Djokovic, eight-time winner Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and the other stars of professional tennis will be playing on the gentlemen’s and ladies courts at the All-England Tennis Club.
TV: Various networks around the globe broadcast Wimbledon matches, among them the BBC, EuroSport, FOX Asia, CTV/TSN in Canada and ESPN and the Tennis Channel in the USA.
• July 15-18 – British Open, Royal St. George’s Golf Course
The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland is the host of the Open for the 30th time in its history.
TV: NBC, Golf Channel
• July 23-August 8 – Tokyo Summer Olympics
They are still on as scheduled. For the moment, anyway. TV: NBC
• Aug. 30-Sept. 12 – U.S. Open Tennis, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York City
The American tennis championships played on the hard courts of Louis Armstrong Stadium and Author Ashe Stadium.
TV: ESPN, ESPN2, the Tennis Channel
• Sept. 4-6 – College Football Labor Day Weekend Opening Games
Key games are: Alabama vs Miami in Atlanta, Georgia vs. Clemson in Charlotte, LSU at UCLA, Penn State at Wisconsin and Notre Dame at Florida State.
TV: ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, FOX Sports 1, ACC Network, Big-10 Network, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network.
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