KU to allow 10,000 fans to attend Oct. 3 Homecoming football game vs. Oklahoma State
Approximately 10,000 fans will be allowed to attend the Kansas-Oklahoma State football game Oct. 3 in 47,000-seat Booth Memorial Stadium, Chancellor Douglas Girod announced Friday.
Masks will be required at all times and all stadium seating will be reserved seating to “ensure proper social distancing,” he said in a message to colleagues at ku.edu.
Girod also announced that fans in October will be allowed at soccer and volleyball games and cross country meets at KU. In all, 400 fans will be allowed to see soccer games at Rock Chalk Park Soccer Stadium and 250 will watch volleyball games in Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. It has not been determined yet how many can view cross country meets at Rim Rock Farm.
Regarding the upcoming football game, Girod explained there will be contactless entry through metal detectors for fans. There will be hand-washing stations and Plexiglass barriers in the stadium as well as reconfigured seating in suites and the press box.
No tailgating will be allowed.
“Our requirements regarding mask usage and reserved stadium seating will be strictly enforced, and fans will be removed from the stadium if they do not comply with these important infection prevention protocols,” Girod wrote.
He explained that “the decision to host fans is based on a number of factors. First, regional COVID-19 rates remain stable and in line with what we are prepared to manage. Additionally, by not hosting fans for our Sept. 12 game (versus Coastal Carolina), we gave ourselves an additional month to learn from other universities and professional sports organizations that have been hosting competitions.
“I want to emphasize that the decision to host fans is fluid and can change at any time, including before the next football game. In partnership with local health officials, we will do a full debrief after the game and make adjustments as needed. Certainly it is our hope to continue hosting fans throughout the fall, but these decisions will be made in an ongoing way based on the latest information, and always at the guidance of the Pandemic Medical Advisory Team,” the Chancellor noted.
He added: “I want to thank the university staff, the Kansas Athletics staff, and our health and safety partners across the region who have worked tirelessly to develop health and safety protocols for upcoming events. Athletics competitions are integral to campus life, to our national recruitment efforts, and to the local economy. Additionally, the opportunity to compete in front of fans is important to our student-athletes, who have demonstrated tremendous resilience amid all this uncertainty. I know I can count on you to support these remarkable young women and men throughout the year.”
Athletic director Jeff Long also wrote a message to fans.
He stated: “We are looking forward to having some of our fans back at each of our venues to cheer on our Jayhawks together once again. It’s been a while since we have done this, and circumstances are much different, so we will need everyone’s help to make this possible for the duration of football season and the upcoming basketball season. If we all — fans, staff and student-athletes — adhere to the policies and protocols implemented, we can look forward to the opportunity to continue having fans in the weeks and months ahead.
“It is important to note that these procedures will be reviewed each week and changes may occur based on the mitigating factors surrounding COVID-19.,” Long added. “How we all handle these new rules at Kansas Athletics venues will determine fan capacity at Allen Fieldhouse and other facilities in the winter and spring. We want our fans to enjoy coming to games, but more importantly we want everyone to be safe.Much like you, we have learned more about COVID-19 as the days and weeks pass, the information below is fluid and subject to change as we learn more about the virus. If there are additional safety measures that we are advised to implement, or if we are permitted to allow additional fans in venues, we will communicate that information quickly and expansively.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 4:33 PM with the headline "KU to allow 10,000 fans to attend Oct. 3 Homecoming football game vs. Oklahoma State."
