Iowa State, which reported a plan on Monday to permit 25,000 fans to go to its Sept. 12 home opener against Louisiana, has turned around course and will no longer permit fans.
The school refered to feedback from the community in reporting its decision.
Athletic director Jamie Pollard said on Wednesday that Dr. Wendy Wintersteen at first affirmed the plans that were detailed by the school’s leadership group.
Capacity for the Cyclones’ Jack Trice Stadium is 61,500. The SEC requested that its teams follow state or nearby rules, with none reporting in excess of 25 percent capacity, while no Big 12 teams have surpassed that also. Clemson is permitting 19,000 fans, yet a few other ACC schools have said they will permit no fans. Iowa State’s plans stood apart at simply over 40% capacity.
“President Wintersteen shared with me on Tuesday evening that, after weighing feedback she has received from the community, she has decided to reverse the decision,” Pollard said. “As a result, we will play the season opener without fans.”
As indicated by CNN, the White House cautioned Iowa that it was in the Covid “red zone” this week and said it had the highest rate of new cases in the nation.
Moreover, Iowa State said on Monday that 28.8% of the campus populace that was tested in the second seven week of classes tested positive.
“Although it is disappointing there won’t be fans at the opener, our institution’s leadership team is still committed to having spectators at future games, if it can done safely,” Pollard said Wednesday. “Weighing how our campus community responds to the recent surge in positive COVID cases will be a significant factor as to whether we can have fans at future games. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make a decision regarding fans for the Oklahoma game [Oct. 3] at a later date.”
