KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says he hopes to see Kansas City sports teams return to the field in the upcoming months, though those events might look different than in the past.
In an interview with 41 Action News anchor Taylor Hemness, Parson said that he anticipates any return to sporting events will come with changes. Major League Baseball, for example, has discussed the possibility of playing games without fans and realigning league divisions.
“The reality of it is that I think things will change,” Parson said. “I’m not sure what those changes will be, but do I think football will be back this fall? Yes, I do.”
As far as baseball, Parson said it’s "a long season."
Referring to Missouri as “a huge sports state,” Parson said that people will want to go back to watching their teams, whether it be major sports teams in Kansas City and St. Louis or collegiate and high school-level teams across the state.
Still, a return to big crowds and packed stadiums is far from a certainty, the governor said.
“How we go to those functions, I think we’re all going to have to figure it out,” Parson said.
Parson said that he has faith in the ownership of sports teams to find a solution that allows them to continue to play.
“You’ll see sports in Missouri,” Parson said. “I truly believe that, by maybe summertime, by fall, I think you’ll see sports back in play.”
