FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas plans to limit attendance to around 4,000 for its men's and women's home basketball games this season.
Hunter Yurachek, the Razorbacks' athletics director, said in an open letter Wednesday that many covid-19-related protocols that have been in place for attending football games will also be in place for basketball. Among those protocols are the requirement that face coverings be worn at all times, unless actively eating or drinking; mobile-only ticketing; and social distancing.
Yurachek said schedules for the men's and women's teams "should be finalized soon." The teams are permitted to begin playing as early as Nov. 25.
The 4,000-person attendance is based on Arkansas Department of Health recommendations, Yurachek said. That figure is about 21% of Walton Arena's full capacity of 19,368.
Arkansas has announced an attendance of 16,500 for both of its home football games this year, or about 22% of full capacity at the 76,412-seat Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Because of high demand, Yurachek said not all men's basketball season-ticket holders will be granted tickets for the entire season. All women's ticket holders will receive tickets to all home games.
Ticket holders for both sports were given the opportunity to opt out of purchasing tickets for the upcoming season without their decision affecting their ability to purchase tickets in future seasons.
Arkansas' men averaged 15,487 tickets sold to its 19 home games last season at Walton Arena.
The Razorbacks' women averaged 3,247 tickets sold per game last season.