Falls sports attendance returns: ‘A staple of college life’ returns to campus
A guide for fans to enjoy AU athletics
JACOB FISHMAN/THE EAGLE
By Owen Dunn | August 30, 2021
It’s been almost two years since senior Carson Murray attended a volleyball game. Now, students like him who’ve been craving any semblance of a normal college experience will have the opportunity to cheer on their classmates in competition.
“It was sort of a regular occurrence for me,” Murray said. “I would go with friends to the volleyball games and I just remember it being a staple of college life.”
While the return of in-person attendance at American University sports events is exciting for students, it won’t be exactly how students like Carson remember it. The spectre of the pandemic still looms large over every aspect of life, and college sports are no exception. Fans who have craved cheering for the Eagles at Bender Arena for a year and a half will have to do so at arms length from each other.
“The setup for indoor games may be arranged to accommodate social distancing,” Associate Athletic Director for External Relations, David Bierwirth, said. “At this time we are not putting capacity limits on, although we are requiring masks and recommending social distancing when possible.”
Accommodating social distancing for outdoor seating will be more tricky. University leadership and the athletics department said they are considering altering the bleacher seating arrangement by adding seating to make social distancing possible.
Concessions will be altered to accommodate the pandemic also. Instead of the traditional sporting atmosphere with concession stands from independent vendors, AU games will resemble more of a picnic.
“There will be food and drink,” Bierwirth said. “It will only be by AU staff or food vendors on campus. Currently, everything that we’re selling is going to be pre-packaged. There’ll be no buffet style or cooking at this point.”
As for family members and guests, while they'll need masks, their vaccination status will not affect their ability to attend.
When they’re not in the throes of competition, the athletes themselves will also be wearing masks.
“Varsity student-athletes will be masked when they are on the sideline and around the event,” Bierwirth said. “When they’re actually competing they will be unmasked. That’s the DC recommendation when it comes to vigorous physical activity.”
However, all of this could change if COVID-19 spikes yet again in the fall, and Biewirth said that the university will have to adapt on the fly.
“I don’t have any crystal ball, [but] what I’ll say is we’ll just continue to work with the University and the District,” Bierwirth said. “We’ve worked very closely with the Department of Health and D.C. Homeland Security Management to make sure our events are in-line with the current medical recommendations. In the future we will meet those requirements and perhaps even be more restrictive based on conversations with University leadership.”
With masks and altered seating for distancing, it won’t be completely normal; nothing is yet. But the return of fall sports attendance is enough for all students to rejoice.