With the recent rulings by the NCAA concerning the tournament amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Texas has also made their announcement.
Del Conte on Texas banning fans until 3/22: "We regret that our fans will not be able to attend our events to support our teams, but this decision was made with the health and well-being of our campus community and fans as the top priority."
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) March 12, 2020
This comes on the heels of the Big 12 limited fans from attending the Big 12 tournament currently taking place in Kansas City, Missouri. Per Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowles, schools will be limited to 125 fans per school.
Big 12's Bob Bowlsby starts his presser. "We are announcing today that beginning (Thursday) we will be implementing limited access." Teams will get 125 tickets. Venue cleared after each game.
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) March 11, 2020
On the 125 tickets that will go to each school for each Big 12 tourney game, Bowlsby said, "The institutions are going to have to determine how the tickets are used."
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) March 11, 2020
Texas President Greg Fenves released an announcement regarding Spring Break.
I am writing to announce that I have decided to extend spring break for students by one week in response to the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Classes will resume on campus on Monday, March 30, and students should plan on returning prior to that date.
The university will remain open, and the additional week of spring break will provide UT faculty and staff members time to prepare to increase “social distancing” on campus. As recommended by public health officials, social distancing provides guidelines through which individuals avoid group settings and mass gatherings, maintain a safe distance from others and follow good personal hygiene practices whenever possible.
COVID-19 represents a serious public health concern. UT is committed to the well-being of our community members and slowing the spread of the coronavirus while also supporting our students’ educational goals and the needs of staff and faculty members and students during these challenging times.
You can read the full release from President Fenves here.
The school pushing back spring break to March 30th brings into question the start of spring practice. The original start date was set for March 25th. The ban of attending home sporting events would last to the 22nd so that would not have factored in. However, the extension of spring break does.
We will monitor the situation and report the facts as they are made available.