Illinois Colleges Opts For No Visiting Fans In Stands For Athletic Competitions

By Benjamin Cox on January 20, 2022 at 3:49pm

Illinois College updated its game day fan policy on Monday further restricting spectators for competitions.

In the announcement, the IC Athletic Department says to keep student-athletes competing and avoid having outbreaks of COVID-19, no visiting teams are allowed to have fans in the stands at this time.

Illinois College students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend events with a valid school ID. For home team fans not currently enrolled at or employed by Illinois College, attendance at competitions in England Stadium, King Fieldhouse and Sherman Gymnasium will be limited to invitation only.

Those in attendance are not allowed to enter the competition space before, during, or after games and are asked not to interact with athletes at the competition site. Masks are still required for attendance.

IC Athletic Director Meghan Roman says she understands the impacts its having not just on fans but on student-athletes and coaches: “We all love sports. It’s what we’ve grown up doing, and that’s what we’ve known. Obviously, these last two years our sports have not been able to happen in the same way that we have known before. I think it has just been really important for us to just focus on the here and now. A lot of our students say, ‘Are we for sure going to get to do this?’ I’m always having to remind them that there is not really a ‘for sure’ anymore, and just flipping that mindset, and just being thankful for the games that we do get to play, the practices that we do get to have, and just keeping that focus on the forefront of their minds. Enjoying the time together as a team and enjoying the season [is important], knowing that in 10 years we are all going to come back and talk about these Covid years and the seasons that we had and how they looked a lot different than other things. It’s definitely tough. Our student-athletes want to compete. Our coaches want to compete. When things changes and it shifts, it definitely does take a toll on the mental health of everyone.”

Roman says that the Game Day Policy will be amended as conditions continue to fluctuate with Covid-19 and how it impacts the IC Campus community and the community at large.