Pac-12 stadiums won’t be empty this football season, after all.
The conference amended its previously announced policy of not allowing any spectators to attend games because of the COVID-19 pandemic and will allow family members to watch their players in person this fall.
The Pac-12 released the announcement via Twitter.
“The Pac-12 confirms that the Pac-12 CEO Group on September 24 approved student-athlete families to be able to attend football games this season, subject to local public health authority approval and in accordance with NCAA guidelines. Each of our member schools working through what will be allowed in terms of family member attendance on that basis.”
Though the state of Utah just introduced revised health guidance levels in an effort to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases, Rice-Eccles Stadium would be able to accommodate the players’ families in the stands as long as they comply with the Utah Department of Health’s new transmission index regulations.
Those requirements from the state’s coronavirus website include:
• “Masks are required; performers are excluded.”
• “Completion of Event Management Template is required.”
• “Individual businesses will be expected to modify their operations based on individual outbreaks; LHD discretion on severity of modifications, supported by UDOH.”
Last week, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham admitted he didn’t approve of the Pac-12’s one-size-fits-all rule about attendance, and he thought players’ families should be able to attend games as long as it was safe.
“We’d love to have the opportunity to have family in the stadium,” he said.