By Zack Kime, ’22 staff writer
As COVID-19 vaccinations are slowly becoming commonplace, so are some of the aspects that once made college sporting events an interactive event to attend.
Just like many of the other professional leagues and divisions across the country, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) was forced to impose safety measures following the COVID-19 pandemic.
This meant that as of March 3, anyone not deemed necessary to the team, training or coaching staff would not be permitted to attend a game or competition.
“Having fans in the stands is cool, but it definitely isn’t the main priority,” Brendan Kernan, a junior on the men’s lacrosse team, said. “As long as my parents can come watch us play, that’s enough for me, that’s what I care about.”
For seniors, the ruling meant their final season of play was being livestreamed and that this was the closest their parents, family and friends would get to seeing them finish out their careers.
However, as the month of April rolled around, the MAC reassessed the rules and decided the conference would allow fans at each competition, as long as the institution gave the okay and had a spectator policy in place.
“It’s awesome to see people back in the stands,” Mike Fisher, captain of the men’s lacrosse team, said. “We may not get a ton of fans at our games but seeing people out and about supporting us always means a lot. I’m really glad the MAC changed their ruling on the matter.”
Some schools in the MAC have chosen to prohibit spectators entirely, sticking with the safest plan possible and keeping the stands empty, while other institutions have tried their hand at a hybrid system, providing each player with a limited number of spectator passes, in an attempt to limit crowds.
Criteria such as required masks, no student-athlete and fan interaction, socially distanced seating and no tailgating top the list of LVC’s spectator policy.
With that being said, LVC encourages spectators from both the home and the opposing teams to come watch, with different plans in place depending on the sport and the specific venue on campus.
For more information regarding the MAC and the updated spectator policy, visit https://godutchmen.com/news/2021/4/1/gen