No fans for KU football opener ‘right decision for our community,’ chancellor says
Those wanting to cheer on the Kansas football team at Booth Memorial Stadium will need to wait at least a month.
Chancellor Douglas Girod announced Monday that KU will be starting its fall athletics seasons without fans in attendance for the month of September. That includes KU football’s season opener against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 12; tailgating also will not be allowed.
“We know this is disappointing to those of you who planned to be on campus to root for the Jayhawks,” Girod said in a message to the campus community. “Our football, volleyball, soccer and cross country contests will not be the same without you there. But this is the right decision for our community at this time.”
Girod said the move was made following advice from KU’s Pandemic Medical Advisory Team, a group of nine medical professionals and public health officials — that was formed to “to develop a data-driven decision-making framework to shape decisions regarding campus operations in a way that prioritizes health and safety.”
KU will continue to evaluate conditions over the next month, Girod said, and has plans to update the public on any potential policy changes before the football team’s second home game on Oct. 3 vs. Oklahoma State.
Girod said KU would be contacting any fans who had already bought tickets for September events.
As recently as three weeks ago, KU athletic director Jeff Long seemed optimistic about the chances of having fans for the football opener. He said on Aug. 12 the plan was to have spectators at that contest — less than 50% capacity was his thought at the time — before saying the athletic department would be making presentations to both university and county officials while hoping to get its blueprint endorsed.
“Unless something changes dramatically with a COVID outbreak or something in the community, I think we will have fans in the stands,” Long said on Aug. 12. “That’s just my thought at this point. It would have to be approved really by the county.”
KU and Douglas County’s coronavirus numbers have risen since then, with the school reporting Friday that it had 474 positive tests with a positive test rate of 2.18%.
“The pause right now is related to the number of positive cases in our county,” Long said in a letter to fans Monday, “but once that number drops, we believe we have a plan in place that our county leadership will support.”
Long also reiterated his optimism that KU would be hosting patrons by October. He even said KU Athletics was sending out season tickets to donors Monday, with the belief that they’d be used later in the season.
“There is an old adage of walk before you run,” Long said, “and we believe if we begin without fans in-venue this September, we will have a greater chance to host fellow Jayhawks in a safe environment in October and hopefully throughout the academic year.”
KU’s choice here is different compared to many around the area. Kansas State announced two weeks ago that it had received permission from Riley County health officials to host fans at all five of its 2020 home games at roughly 25% capacity. Iowa State said Monday that it would allow 25,000 fans at home games, while Sporting KC admitted 2,300 fans in a home match last week.
In addition, the Kansas City Chiefs have said they will have a reduced capacity of 22% — about 16,700 fans — at home games.
