It may not feel like it, but maybe we are rounding the corner with this global pandemic. Once COVID-19 hit, sporting events and businesses were shuttered and we wondered when life might start to get back to normal.
There’s still a long way to go, but we’ve slowly begun to see sporting events allow fans back at venues in a responsible and socially distanced manner. And now, the conference that seemed to be the most conservative of all the major conferences in collegiate sports, the Big Ten, has announced that its member institutions can begin welcoming fans back again.
“Attendance policies for all remaining 2020-21 Big Ten Conference regular-season competitions will follow local health guidelines and restrictions,” the conference announced on Wednesday. “The decision to follow local health guidelines and restrictions was made jointly by the Big Ten Conference Directors of Athletics and the Council of Presidents and Chancellors in consultation with university medical experts and the conference office. This policy update is effective immediately and includes spring football events.”
Well then. This follows the conference’s move to allow fans at the Big Ten Basketball Tournament in Lucas Oil Stadium just a couple of weeks ago and furthers the move towards being able to get closer to a more regularly attended season for college events in the future and beyond.
Big Ten to allow fan attendance at spring sporting events https://t.co/suH88WGpJ5
— BuckeyeXtra.com (@BuckeyeXtra) March 24, 2021
Shortly after the news broke, Ohio State itself issued a statement.
“In response to the Big Ten Conference announcement today regarding attendance policies at home athletics events for its member schools, the Ohio State Department of Athletics will work internally and with Columbus Public Health to formalize appropriate attendance figures, mapping and social distancing within our athletics venues and facilities,” read the statement. “Once we have determined the attendance in our venues, beyond the current protocols of only family members of student-athletes and coaches, we will share that information. We do not anticipate any changes in our attendance policies before this weekend’s athletic events on campus.”
It all seems like things are headed in the right direction. Hopefully, with more and more people getting vaccinated, the cases of COVI-19 will only trend downward and we’ll all get to see a packed Horseshoe this fall. In fact, we still don’t know what this means for the annual spring game, but we’ll stay close to any updates. Previously, athletic director Gene Smith said the university did not plan on selling tickets. We’ll see if that changes at all in some capacity.
Either way, this is very welcome news.