UA, SEC won't allow fans to attend games through at least March 30

Fans call the Hogs during the Razorbacks game on Friday, March 6, 2020, at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. Arkansas is trying to break a five game losing streak.

— Fans hoping to watch the University of Arkansas’ sports teams will have to watch from home for a while.

In accordance with a Southeastern Conference policy announced Wednesday, the Razorbacks will not permit the general public to attend any of its sporting events until at least March 30. At that time the SEC will re-evaluate its policy that was established in response to the growing covid-19 concern.

Until then, only essential personnel, limited family members and credentialed media will be able to attend games on SEC campuses.

Among the notable sporting events that will be affected are Arkansas' home gymnastics finale against Penn State on Friday, a softball series against Georgia on Friday through Sunday, and the Razorbacks' first home SEC baseball series of the season against Alabama on March 20-22.

“Without these extraordinary circumstances we would be looking forward to hosting thousands of Razorback fans on our campus in the next few weeks to cheer on our student-athletes,” UA athletics director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement. “However, our first priority is the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff as well as the wellbeing of our loyal fans who support them. We will continue to work with the University of Arkansas, the SEC and NCAA in regard to this rapidly changing issue. We appreciate the patience and understanding of all those impacted by these measures.”

The SEC ban came on the same day the NCAA announced it would not permit fans to attend its championship events, including the men's and women's basketball tournaments that begin next week. The directive also applies to the NIT.

Arkansas’ women are expected to play in the NCAA Tournament, and the men’s team can qualify for the tournament by winning the SEC Tournament this week. The men's team is expected to qualify for the NIT if it does not make the NCAA Tournament, and would stand a good chance to host at least one NIT game.

“While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how covid-19 is progressing in the United States,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement. “This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”

The NCAA’s covid-19 advisory panel also recommended Wednesday that college sporting events be closed to the public.

“We do believe sport events can take place with only essential personnel and limited family attendance, and this protects our players, employees and fans,” the panel said in a statement.

Nationwide, collegiate governing bodies made decisions Wednesday that limited or outright eliminated spectators at sporting events. The Big Ten announced it would limit attendance to essential personnel at all of its remaining winter and spring sporting events, and the Big 12 and Pac-12 announced they were limiting attendance to essential personnel at their conference tournaments this week.

The SEC's attendance ban also applies to its conference tournament beginning Thursday.

The Ivy League announced Wednesday it was cancelling the seasons for all spring sports, but will allow teams that have qualified for NCAA championship events to finish their seasons.

Earlier Wednesday, the UA said it was suspending all university-sponsored travel out of state for at least 60 days because of concerns related to covid-19, but it left open an appeals process. Yurachek said all athletics-related travel will go on as planned.

He said precautionary measures would be implemented that include limiting team travel to only chartered flights and ground transportation. Only essential personnel will be permitted to travel with the teams.

“No commercial travel will be utilized for competition,” Yurachek said. “Other travel, not specifically related to competition, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis."

The Razorbacks either have or will have several teams on the road this week, including the men’s basketball team at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn., the men’s and women’s track and field teams at the NCAA Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., and the baseball team in Starkville, Miss.