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Commissioners from the top United States sports leagues will meet for a conversation hosted by ESPN on Monday regarding the resumption of sports competition amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gary Bettman of the NHL, Cathy Engelbert of the WNBA, Don Garber of MLS, Roger Goodell of the NFL, Adam Silver of the NBA and Rob Manfred of MLB are expected to participate in the two-hour long discussion.

The discussion will be hosted by Mike Greenberg, who will speak with each league commissioner about their sport and the approach to return. According to ESPN, the topics of discussion will include the health and safety of players and workers, the economic impact and plans going forward, games without fans and potential broadcast innovations, the consequences and legacy of "asterisk seasons," and the potential long-term impact of COVID-19.

How to watch 'SportsCenter Special: The Return of Sports'

  • Date: Monday, June 15
  • Time: 9 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Streaming: ESPN app

The ESPN special will also highlight the social justice reform efforts among the leagues following the country's unrest due to the death of George Floyd. Some of the other prominent guests in Monday's program will include Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon, Portland Trailblazers guard Damian Lillard, Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner and Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane.

Most sports leagues in the U.S. have been shutdown since mid-March due to the coronavirus. The NBA and MLS have both announced their plans to resume play next month at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The pair of leagues will not have any fans in attendance at their games. The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) will make their return to play later this month with the 2020 Challenge Cup, a nine-team, 25-game tournament without spectators in Utah, set to begin on June 27.

At this time, the NFL has not made any changes to its 2020-21 season plans. Meanwhile, MLB, NHL and WNBA are currently in the works on a season restart plan for their respective leagues, but have yet to determine any official return dates. MLB suspended their operations on March 12, and the MLB Players Association continues to engage in negotiations with the league for a return to play format, but the two sides remain at a stalemate. The NHL agreed on a return to play with a 24-team postseason format assuming that there aren't any setbacks in terms of positive coronavirus tests. The WNBA season is still postponed indefinitely, they were set to begin their season on May 15.