MEC Updates its Winter Sports Attendance Policies; Limited Spectators Allowed at Hoops Tournaments
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on February 17, 2021
The Mountain East Conference today announced the following updates to its attendance policies:
Spectators for indoor sports (men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, volleyball, wrestling, acrobatics and tumbling) at home venues will not be permitted for the remainder of the athletic season.
A limited number of spectators will be permitted at the 2021 MEC Basketball Tournament at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. (See the release for details)
Spectators for outdoor sports (football, men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball, women's lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, men's and women's track and field) will not be permitted until March 10. As of March 10, a limited number of spectators may be permitted at the discretion of MEC institutions in accordance with state and local guidelines.
"Our league has had a great deal of success in playing a high percentage of its scheduled contests up until this point, and we believe keeping the current campus attendance policies in place for indoor sports puts our teams in the best position to complete their respective seasons," Commissioner Reid Amos said. "Although a difficult decision, based on the medical advice we continue to receive, I am confident that it is the one that provides our student-athletes and coaches the best chance of continuing to compete.
"As for outdoor sports after March 10, at the point when most indoor contests will be complete, the league feels it's appropriate for each institution to begin to make its own decisions about limited spectators due to the fact that outdoor venues are more conducive to social distancing and there is a significantly lower risk of spreading COVID while outdoors," Amos ended.
Editor's Note: Photo of MEC Commissioner Reid Amos by Ben Queen Photography.
