LEBANON, Ill. – With the start of the 2021-22 athletics season right around the corner, the McKendree University Athletics Department, following guidance from both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), plans to allow fans to attend all home athletic contests during the upcoming 2021-22 academic and athletic year, Director of Athletics Anthony Francis announced Wednesday morning.
That announcement followed guidelines that were put in place by the McKendree University COVID-19 Response Team on campus for the coming 2021-22 academic year.
“Given the current trend on the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 and the rate of vaccination levels in the Metro East area, we feel like we can provide a safe opportunity for our fans to watch our student-athletes compete in person while also keeping our student-athletes, coaches, employees and game-day workers safe,” Francis said. “Of course, we will still continue to monitor the data and the ongoing situation with COVID-19 and continue to adjust policies as we have throughout the pandemic based on guidance from local, state and federal authorities.”
Fans will be permitted to attend all outdoor sporting events without face coverings, but fans are asked to continue to follow social distancing at all times, while fans attending home indoor athletic events will be required to wear an appropriate face covering, regardless of their vaccination status pursuant to institutional policy regarding face coverings on campus. Along with wearing face coverings at indoor sporting events, fans will also be asked to remain socially distanced at all times.
Along with allowing fans back into our sporting events this season, fans will be allowed to once again tailgate before home football games on the McKendree campus, but the tailgaters must adhere to campus COVID-19 protocols.
“We are excited this year to once again welcome back fans to our home athletic events,” Francis added. “I’m thankful that the GLVC has continued to prioritize the safety of our student-athletes and everyone else involved in helping us host events. We can’t wait to see our fans back in the stands cheering for the Bearcats this school year.”
This fan attendance policy applies to all home games played on campus and also includes athletic events held at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex in O’Fallon, Ill. Any fans wishing to attend away games that McKendree teams are participating in should visit the athletics website of the host school for their COVID-19 policies.
The Great Lakes Valley Conference and the NCAA have both developed Resocialization of Collegiate Sports for the upcoming 2021-22 academic year that will be utilized to help keep our student-athletes and teams safe while practicing and competing this year.
- NCAA Resocialization of Collegiate Sports: 2021 Fall Training and Competition (PDF)
- Resocialization of GLVC Competition
Release courtesy McKendree University Athletics Communications
