KU is modeling what fans at home games might look like. Here’s what’s been discussed
Kansas Athletics has done recent modeling with the hope that home football games can have a limited number of fans in the fall, KU athletic director Jeff Long said Tuesday during a panel discussion with University of Kansas Health System doctors.
Long said KU has modeled “15- to 16,000” in Booth Memorial Stadium, which is roughly one-third of official capacity at 47,000.
His comments came the same day that Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard wrote a letter to fans stating his aspiration to play home football games with 50% capacity in the fall because of the coronavirus.
KU has also modeled what the potential would be for fans at Allen Fieldhouse, though Long admitted “I can’t bring myself to look at it, because I know how few people it will be.”
Though Long said the thought of the historic arena perhaps being mostly empty during men’s basketball contests was upsetting, he reiterated that he and his staff remain positive and hopeful that medical advances could improve spectator capabilities.
“Right now, it’s not a good look,” Long said, “but as you (doctors) pointed out, in two weeks, three weeks, three months ... we’re going to know a lot more about what we’ll be able to do and how our fans will want to come back.”
Long said he had a feel that many fans would want to return in-person. He cited that over 90% of KU football season ticket-holders had renewed, so “hopefully we will develop the ways to protect them prior to that first game on Sept. 5.”
Safeguarding athletes and coaches also has been a priority, Long said, with apparel sponsor Adidas providing about 2,000 masks to KU.
Long said those masks would be issued to athletes once they arrive in Lawrence, with the expectation that they’d be used frequently.
“Short answer: Masks are really very much a part of what we’re going to do when we return back to campus,” Long said.
As part of the Big 12’s guidelines, football players will be allowed to return to campus for voluntary workouts beginning June 15. Other fall sports teams can come back July 1, while men’s and women’s basketball are set for a July 15 return.
Long said KU Athletics’ offices — they reopened May 18 — are following new protocols as well. That includes checkpoints, which require filling out a questionnaire and getting a temperature check, before entering a building. Masks also are required inside.
As far as getting fans back at fall events ... Long wasn’t offering any guarantees at this early stage.
“We don’t know how we’ll be coming back into David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium or Allen Fieldhouse at this point,” Long said. “We’re certainly following all the developments.”
