Spring Game attendance in limbo, but optimism remains for fall
The 2020 offseason equivalent event was canceled by pandemic.
Ohio State athletic COLUMBUS — director Gene Smith remains uncertain whether fans will be allowed into Ohio Stadium for the annual Spring Game though
— he is planning for the possibility.
Ohio State has not yet announced a date for the annual exhibition. The 2020 spring game was canceled due to the start of the coronavirus pandemic. As that virus lingered into the fall, it also deprived the Buckeyes of any meaningful home attendance and ticket revenue.
Past spring games at Ohio Stadium have drawn upwards of 100,000 fans. That level of attendance will not be an option as Ohio teams have only recently received approval to bring back a limited number of fans.
Smith said OSU is “on hold” for the spring game, and if fans are allowed, OSU will not charge for attendance. He has an idea of who he wants to fill whatever seats open up.
“My hope is that we’ll have an opportunity to develop a strategy to recognize frontline people — our nurses, our doctors, our custodians, our bus drivers and all those people who made so many sacrifices for us for a long time now. And of course, obviously, the parents of our student-athletes.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently said he targeted 30% capacity for the state’s professional sports teams. That number could change.
“I’m hopeful that what we’re experiencing now, from low positivity rate and number of people in hospitals and all those type of things … continue on, and vaccine and herd immunity and all those things,” Smith said.
“I’m hopeful that those things continue and we have some new normal, whatever that will be in the fall. My assumption is we’ll still have to do a number of different things. There are certain protocols like wearing masks and things of that nature. But I can’t begin to share what I think capacity allowance will be,” Smith said.