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Because of state’s new stay-at-home advisory, Ohio State not permitting any family to attend Indiana game
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Onerous Covid-19 restrictions are going to effect the families of Ohio State Buckeyes’ football players as their home state goes live with another lockdown order in an effort to slow the spread of a virus that has destroyed any sense of normalcy across the planet in 2020.
According to a piece published at Cleveland.com, the Columbus Department of Health has made their latest advisory official.
“The Columbus Department of Health issued a stay at home advisory beginning at 6 p.m. Friday. As a result, Ohio State will not permit the families of players, coaches and staff to attend Saturday’s game against Indiana.”
The order was set for 28 days but the Ohio State athletic department has announced the stadium will be completely empty for the remainder of 2020. They plan to revisit the decision before “The Game” with Michigan scheduled for January of 2021.
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith was quoted in a press release in the same piece.
“The health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, spectators and event staff is our top priority. We had hoped to continue to allow family members of our student-athletes and coaching staffs to be able to attend games, but circumstances around this pandemic are prompting us to adjust, just as it has throughout the past eight months. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and we will continue to do what is in the best interests of everyone involved.”
Ohio State will play at home this Saturday against ninth-ranked Indiana in front of 104, 944 empty seats set in a horse-shoe configuration.
Mark Schipper is a reporter, sportswriter, and aspiring novelist living in Chicago, Illinois.