OHSAA limits spectators at games

Officials follow directives of governor, other levels of play to curb virus

Most spectators will have to stay at home at the remainder of the winter sports tournament season because of the novel coronavirus, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced on March 10.

Following a recommendation made March 10 by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine that indoor high school collegiate and professional sports shall continue without most spectators in attendance, the OHSAA announced a limited spectator policy for this weekend’s three state tournaments (girls basketball, wrestling and hockey) and for regional boys basketball games beginning March 11.

“This will be a very difficult time for our schools and fans, but we cannot ignore the directive of the governor,” OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass said.

“This will get worse before it gets better. We’re at the mercy of the global health department, the state health department and the government.” — OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass

“We are pleased that our tournaments can continue and we will soon determine who can attend. However, we can already say that it will most likely be no more than the immediate family of the student-athletes participating in the event.”

The girls state basketball tournament is scheduled to run March 12-14 at St. John Arena, while the state wrestling tournament is scheduled to run March 13-15 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center. Both venues are on the campus of The Ohio State University.

The state hockey tournament is March 14-15 at Nationwide

Arena in downtown Columbus.

Those tournaments, as well as regional boys basketball tournaments beginning March 11, will be subject to a spectator policy of tentatively allowing only four fans per participant, according to Snodgrass.

Snodgrass said the OHSAA is “planning” for the boys state basketball tournament March 19-21 to be subject to the same spectator limitation.

“We’ll probably set the number at four (fans) per participant,” Snodgrass said in a news conference at the OHSAA headquarters in Columbus. “We have not finalized that number, but will communicate with our schools.”

Additionally, cheerleaders

and pep bands will be eliminated from participation at those events.

Snodgrass said the OHSAA, the governing body of scholastic sports in Ohio, is “in a unique situation now,” and that the proceedings and announcement to limit spectators at scholastic events in an attempt to lessen chances of the spread of the COVID-19 virus made for “an emotional day” at the OHSAA offices.

“We have to consider the safety aspect and health aspect,” Snodgrass said. “When I look at it from that point of view, I feel strongly that we have to do what we need to do.”

Many have already purchased tickets to the state wrestling, state girls basketball

and state hockey tournaments. Snodgrass said refunding those people “is a huge challenge, but we’ve started looking at how we’re going to do that.”

The limited spectators will also create a massive hole in the OHSAA’s budget. Snodgrass said the body’s funds are made up of 80 percent ticket sales, 10 percent partnerships and 10 percent officials dues.

Limiting spectators as three state tournaments (and potentially four if this goes into next weekend’s state boys basketball tournament) will create a massive financial hit.

“I don’t know if I have words to describe that,” Snodgrass said of the financial hit. “Significant is

the best word I have at this time.”

The March 10 regional boys basketball games were ordered to go on as usual, Snodgrass said, because there was not enough time to enact the governor’s recommendation in time.

“Some schools were on buses already,” Snodgrass said.

There is also a possibility of media restrictions on some level at state tournament games and regional games over the next few weeks.

There was some consideration to rescheduling tournaments, but Snodgrass said the COVID-19 situation could linger well beyond a week or two, according to the Centers for

Disease Control, with whom he has been in contact.

“This will get worse before it gets better,” Snodgrass said of the directive from the CDC. “We’re at the mercy of the global health department, the state health department and the government.”

Snodgrass said preventive measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 could extend into spring sports.

“I want our fans — they’re the lifeblood of what we do — to understand if we could done it any other way...” Snodgrass said, lamenting measures he was announcing. “We had our fingers crossed. We were hoping. Today when we called our staff meeting, every person knew what we were challenged with.”