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Even as Syracuse enters the week where three of its five fall Olympic sports begin competitions, all of its stadiums and other home facilities will remain empty. There will be no fans at SU games until further notice, including Syracuse football’s six scheduled home games this season and the opener in the newly renovated Carrier Dome, Syracuse Athletics said in a press release on Friday.

The decision, which could change for games later in the season, was made in compliance with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-19 protocol regarding fans in stadiums. Those guidelines also prohibit in-person attendance at professional sporting events in New York, which notably impacts the Buffalo Bills, New York Yankees and New York Mets. 

If the protocols do change, Syracuse fans will have the opportunity to attend games by purchasing online pre-sale tickets two weeks before game day, the release said. Fans will also be required to wear masks and practice social distancing.

“Syracuse Athletics remains committed to doing everything it can to support and protect the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, our staff and the campus and Syracuse communities,” the release said. “All decisions will be science-based and informed by public health guidance as provided by county, state and public health officials.”

Cuomo said on a July 21 conference call with reporters that there wouldn’t be any fans at sporting events this season. Two days later, though, Rich Azzopardi, a senior advisor to Cuomo, clarified that the decision would be revisited closer to the season in early September based on “the infection rate and where the world is.” 

“Right now, we’re still fanless sports activities,” State Budget Director Robert Mujica said on the conference call with Cuomo and reporters. “So that would be a large social gathering with everyone together in a stadium and that is not authorized as of yet.”

Director of Athletics John Wildhack said he initially hoped to have some fan attendance in a May 28 email to ticket holders as well as a June 11 press conference. He also said that Syracuse and the Atlantic Coast Conference were working on various models to potentially accommodate different levels of attendance. But Friday’s release confirms Cuomo’s initial decision. 

The Orange played in an almost-empty stadium in their season-opening 31-6 loss to No. 18  North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and will play without fans at Pittsburgh. While they could potentially play in front of a crowd — between 20% and 30% capacity — at Clemson, Louisville and Notre Dame, all games in the 49,057-seat Carrier Dome will remain empty.

Syracuse has three consecutive home games for football, beginning with its home-opener against Georgia Tech on Sept. 26 and followed by Duke and Liberty. The Orange also have home games this weekend for field hockey, with a pair against Duke on Friday and Sunday at J.S. Coyne Stadium. Volleyball, which plays its home games in the Women’s Building, opens its home schedule against Pittsburgh the following week, on Sept. 25 and 26.

Published on September 13, 2020 at 10:51 pm

Contact Roshan: rferna04@syr.edu | @Roshan_f16