Iowa State University is allowing up to 25,000 people to attend its first home game, but if coronavirus precautions are not followed, the second home game will be fan-free.
The Sept. 12 game against University of Louisiana at Lafayette will be open to fans who have purchased season tickets and will feature a number of virus safeguards, Iowa State Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced in a Monday letter.
“Our staff has strategically reassigned all seat locations using current Cyclone Club giving levels, priority points within those levels and taking into account location and/or price, to create improved social distancing,” Pollard said. He also included a link to the seating chart for the upcoming game, which was filled with gaps to keep groups of people socially distant.
Among the restrictions that will be implemented is a requirement that face coverings be worn from the moment fans leave their vehicles until the time they return. Tailgating will also be forbidden.
“In order for our plans to succeed, we need full buy-in from everyone,” Pollard said of the precautions.
“If our mitigation actions are successful, we will allow all season ticket purchasers to attend the Oklahoma game Oct. 3. However, if we determine that mitigation measures were not followed adequately at the first game, we will have no fans at future games,” he warned.
The plan for the 25,000-person home game is subject to change based upon the coronavirus situation over the next couple of weeks.
According to a New York Times analysis of U.S. coronavirus cases, Iowa is one of 10 states where new infections are increasing, while in the other 40 states, new confirmed cases of the contagion are either remaining about the same or decreasing.
Iowa is approaching 65,000 coronavirus cases and has had at least 1,116 deaths associated with COVID-19 since the pandemic first began.
