REPORT: Chris Stapleton Concert, The First Event Scheduled for Globe Life Field, Has Been Postponed

The first event scheduled for Globe Life Field, the new home of the Texas Rangers, has been postponed.

According to a report by Levi Weaver of The Athletic, the concert featuring Chris Stapleton, Willie Nelson, and Jamey Johnson has been postponed. This decision came from artist management and LiveNation, so it does not directly affect the potential decision to cancel or postpone the exhibition games scheduled for March 23-24 or the home opener on March 31.

Chris Stapleton announced the postponement on social media.

The club confirmed the report Thursday afternoon, as well as the postponement of other events at Globe Life Field in an official statement:

The Texas Rangers today announced the following changes to several upcoming events that were scheduled for Globe Life Field.

With the postponement of Saturday’s Chris Stapleton concert, which had been the first scheduled event at Globe Life Field, the official ribbon-cutting for the building, which had been scheduled for March 14, will be rescheduled for a later date to be determined.

The start date for public and group tours of Globe Life Field will be delayed until after the first public event has taken place in the new facility. Tours were originally scheduled to commence on Tuesday, March 17. Individuals who have booked a public or group tour in advance may contact tours@texasrangers.com or call 817-533-1833 for more information.

The Rangers will provide additional information as it becomes available.

Thank you for your attention.

The sports world has been rocked by the spread of COVID-19, or simply the coronavirus. Just a day ago, the NCAA announced that both men's and women's tournaments will be played sans fans in attendance. The NHL's game in Columbus between the Blue Jackets and Penguins currently has also been set to be played without fans in the stands.

In a massive turn of events, after discovering that Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, the NBA suspended their regular season. Gobert's teammate Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive for COVID-19.

On Thursday morning, Major League Soccer announced they have suspended their season for 30 days. The Southeastern, American, Big Ten, Mid-Atlantic Conferences, as well as Conference-USA, have also announced the cancellation of their conference basketball tournaments.

The NFL, the lone professional sports league not currently in-season, has even begun to take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Multiple NFL teams are discussing shutting down their training facilities due to the Coronavirus, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2020

No word has come from Major League Baseball yet when it comes to postponing or canceling spring or regular season games. The only major efforts have been banning media from clubhouses (which was part of a unified statement alonside the NBA, NHL, and MLS), and teams beginning to pulls scouts off the road, per a report by ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Rangers are one of those teams who have begun this process.

The impact COVID-19 continues to have on the world of sports remains fluid. Changes are being made from moment-to-moment. Stay tuned for further information regarding COVID-19 and its effect on the Texas Rangers, Major League Baseball, and the world of sports. This is an issue that is not going away any time soon.

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