NFL Reportedly Bans College Player Visits Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

The NFL has reportedly banned college player visits ahead of the 2020 NFL draft because of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, visits to team facilities and schools have been put on hold indefinitely, and only online interaction is being permitted by the league.

The reported ban figures to impact upcoming pro days, which means teams may have to rely on tape and NFL Scouting Combine performances when it comes to the NFL draft, which is scheduled to run from April 23-25 in Las Vegas.

The NFL does not plan to postpone the start of the new league year next week, but it has already made several alterations to account for concerns regarding coronavirus.

In addition to teams pulling their scouts and talent evaluators off the road, the annual league meeting scheduled to run from March 29 through April 1 was canceled.

While the NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLS, PGA Tour, NASCAR, ATP and other major sports leagues have suspended operations, the NFL hasn't had to go to those lengths yet since it isn't in the middle of an active season.

Depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic plays out, however, the NFL draft could be impacted in terms of having to postpone it or hold it without fans in attendance. Next week's opening of free agency could also be altered since in-person visits with available players may not be possible.

Per the World Health Organization, there are more than 132,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide with nearly 5,000 deaths as a result. In the United States, there are over 1,200 confirmed cases.