Part of my job as an educator is as our schools Athletic Director. I’ve been in preliminary talks with fellow ADs about the possibility of basketball this winter. Basketball as well as football is deemed a high risk level for participation. For schools to open last month, the health district wanted the Covid numbers to be under 75/100,000 population. We are currently at 219/100,000 in Spokane county. School sports that are or will be allowed to move forward will be limited, as of now to one spectator per athlete. Or in some circumstances none at all.
I know this information doesn’t exactly address the, will fans return soon question, but perhaps it sheds a little light on the overall magnitude that those in charge are monitoring.
The NFL has different criteria when deciding whether to play or not than the WIAA does in letting school athletics play. The state does determine whether or not large gatherings of people will be allowed. If fans are allowed back at the Clink, how many? What seating options are there? What about all of the pregame crowded areas?
With the latest spikes in covid and the overall numbers being where they are, I don’t see fans returning to the Clink this year. As for teams that are allowing a limited number of fans in, I see some of these teams eventually scaling back and or eliminating fan options all together.