The athletic department just released the statement in the link below. No change to their policy to allow for increased attendance or ticket sales.

https://tribeathletics.com/news/2021/3/2...RR3Bka2vJ4

Jeremy Martin will be a guest on the Quarterback Club Zoom meeting this evening at 7:00 to discuss the College's decision.

I believe cases on campus are reaching an all time high, though still a manageable amount (in the upper 50s/low 60s). It's a disappointing decision, but I get where it's coming from. Making sure the students are able to finish the semester safely is more important than getting some additional fans in the stadium for the last few games. Seems like we should be at full capacity for games in the fall, time to look forward to those.

I bet we will hear some of the following:
Too difficult to implement this quickly
Need testing for everyone who works the game
Safety is our number one concern and we don't want to be the epicenter of a new wave of cases

What they won't tell us:
It's a no win situation in terms of pissing some people off
It will cost us more than the revenue we make
We don't have enough staff to handle all of the phone calls and emails
The season doesn't really matter

It's an utterly stupid decision. If keeping students healthy is the motivation, don't allow students to attend. Me sitting with my family, masks on, outside, and 6' from others is zero threat to anyone.

Don't ask me to go "All In" if you won't.

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(03-29-2021 04:10 PM)Tribal Wrote:  It's an utterly stupid decision. If keeping students healthy is the motivation, don't allow students to attend. Me sitting with my family, masks on, outside, and 6' from others is zero threat to anyone.

Don't ask me to go "All In" if you won't.

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The statement makes a point that it's not really about people sitting in the stands. It's about inviting people to campus. From the statement:
"To welcome thousands of fans to a football game or track meet in iconic Zable Stadium in the center of our campus is to invite fans to traverse all corners of our beautiful campus, creating interactions and potential transmissions that we simply cannot allow."

Argue that it's the right decision or not, it's at worst a defensible decision. Throughout the pandemic W&M has erred on the side of being conservative with regard to limiting the spread. This decision is consistent with that. Also, I'm glad to hear that AD Martin is going to be at the QB Club meeting tonight. He's making a statement and then immediately facing an audience that I'm sure has strong feelings about it.

(03-29-2021 04:17 PM)WMInTheBurg Wrote:  

(03-29-2021 04:10 PM)Tribal Wrote:  It's an utterly stupid decision. If keeping students healthy is the motivation, don't allow students to attend. Me sitting with my family, masks on, outside, and 6' from others is zero threat to anyone.

Don't ask me to go "All In" if you won't.

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The statement makes a point that it's not really about people sitting in the stands. It's about inviting people to campus. From the statement:
"To welcome thousands of fans to a football game or track meet in iconic Zable Stadium in the center of our campus is to invite fans to traverse all corners of our beautiful campus, creating interactions and potential transmissions that we simply cannot allow."

Argue that it's the right decision or not, it's at worst a defensible decision. Throughout the pandemic W&M has erred on the side of being conservative with regard to limiting the spread. This decision is consistent with that. Also, I'm glad to hear that AD Martin is going to be at the QB Club meeting tonight. He's making a statement and then immediately facing an audience that I'm sure has strong feelings about it.

I heard him out and will hear him out tonight.
Zable is not "in the center of our campus." Watching a game with my family, masks on, 6+ feet from others, and outside poses negligible threat and in no way encourages me to "traverse all corners of our beautiful campus."

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It gets to the part in my post about how much it will cost. They will need dozens of security/volunteers to keep the campus isolated. Also, would they allow tailgating, etc.? Easy to punt on the last game and hope people forget by the fall.

(03-29-2021 04:50 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  It gets to the part in my post about how much it will cost. They will need dozens of security/volunteers to keep the campus isolated. Also, would they allow tailgating, etc.? Easy to punt on the last game and hope people forget by the fall.

Minimal cost. It's not like Tribe fans would buck the rules and run all over campus with scissors. Keep fans on the opposite side from students and allow mature rule-following humans to pay $15 a pop to sit OUTSIDE to attend the game. Movie theaters, department stores, and restaurants are open to all and those are indoor businesses. It's cool, W&M doesn't want my support or money and I'll remember that. To each their own.

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(03-29-2021 05:09 PM)Tribal Wrote:  

(03-29-2021 04:50 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  It gets to the part in my post about how much it will cost. They will need dozens of security/volunteers to keep the campus isolated. Also, would they allow tailgating, etc.? Easy to punt on the last game and hope people forget by the fall.

Minimal cost. It's not like Tribe fans would buck the rules and run all over campus with scissors. Keep fans on the opposite side from students and allow mature rule-following humans to pay $15 a pop to sit OUTSIDE to attend the game. Movie theaters, department stores, and restaurants are open to all and those are indoor businesses. It's cool, W&M doesn't want my support or money and I'll remember that. To each their own.

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Is there an verification process for "mature rule-following humans"? You're minimizing the effort because you want to go to a football game in person that you can watch on TV or online. This is a judgment call, not a clear right or wrong. There's a case to be made for and against allowing fans and they chose the one that is most risk averse.

(03-29-2021 05:40 PM)WMInTheBurg Wrote:  

(03-29-2021 05:09 PM)Tribal Wrote:  

(03-29-2021 04:50 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  It gets to the part in my post about how much it will cost. They will need dozens of security/volunteers to keep the campus isolated. Also, would they allow tailgating, etc.? Easy to punt on the last game and hope people forget by the fall.

Minimal cost. It's not like Tribe fans would buck the rules and run all over campus with scissors. Keep fans on the opposite side from students and allow mature rule-following humans to pay $15 a pop to sit OUTSIDE to attend the game. Movie theaters, department stores, and restaurants are open to all and those are indoor businesses. It's cool, W&M doesn't want my support or money and I'll remember that. To each their own.

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Is there an verification process for "mature rule-following humans"? You're minimizing the effort because you want to go to a football game in person that you can watch on TV or online. This is a judgment call, not a clear right or wrong. There's a case to be made for and against allowing fans and they chose the one that is most risk averse.

Do you think season ticket holders would follow guidelines? Do you think they'd enter through a designated gate, keep their masks on and stay in their seats? Yes or No?

I do.

"The Commencement Committee is working to craft the best possible experience for you and your guests, including holding your graduation ceremony in Zable Stadium. There will continue to be a virtual option for those who cannot be on campus in person. All of our decisions remain contingent on the latest data regarding COVID-19 and the evolving health and safety guidance we receive from the commonwealth." That's the statement re commencement." Except, regarding football, they're electing to disregard the commonwealth's guidance.

That's fine. I'll do what I think is right moving forward.

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(03-29-2021 05:09 PM)Tribal Wrote:  

(03-29-2021 04:50 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  It gets to the part in my post about how much it will cost. They will need dozens of security/volunteers to keep the campus isolated. Also, would they allow tailgating, etc.? Easy to punt on the last game and hope people forget by the fall.

Minimal cost. It's not like Tribe fans would buck the rules and run all over campus with scissors. Keep fans on the opposite side from students and allow mature rule-following humans to pay $15 a pop to sit OUTSIDE to attend the game. Movie theaters, department stores, and restaurants are open to all and those are indoor businesses. It's cool, W&M doesn't want my support or money and I'll remember that. To each their own.

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I should have said cost/effort. I think it's probably more the effort part.

(03-29-2021 06:04 PM)Tribal Wrote:  

(03-29-2021 05:40 PM)WMInTheBurg Wrote:  

(03-29-2021 05:09 PM)Tribal Wrote:  

(03-29-2021 04:50 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  It gets to the part in my post about how much it will cost. They will need dozens of security/volunteers to keep the campus isolated. Also, would they allow tailgating, etc.? Easy to punt on the last game and hope people forget by the fall.

Minimal cost. It's not like Tribe fans would buck the rules and run all over campus with scissors. Keep fans on the opposite side from students and allow mature rule-following humans to pay $15 a pop to sit OUTSIDE to attend the game. Movie theaters, department stores, and restaurants are open to all and those are indoor businesses. It's cool, W&M doesn't want my support or money and I'll remember that. To each their own.

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

Is there an verification process for "mature rule-following humans"? You're minimizing the effort because you want to go to a football game in person that you can watch on TV or online. This is a judgment call, not a clear right or wrong. There's a case to be made for and against allowing fans and they chose the one that is most risk averse.

Do you think season ticket holders would follow guidelines? Do you think they'd enter through a designated gate, keep their masks on and stay in their seats? Yes or No?

I do.

"The Commencement Committee is working to craft the best possible experience for you and your guests, including holding your graduation ceremony in Zable Stadium. There will continue to be a virtual option for those who cannot be on campus in person. All of our decisions remain contingent on the latest data regarding COVID-19 and the evolving health and safety guidance we receive from the commonwealth." That's the statement re commencement." Except, regarding football, they're electing to disregard the commonwealth's guidance.

That's fine. I'll do what I think is right moving forward.

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What guidance do you think they're disregarding? They're choosing to be more restrictive than the VDH recommends, citing a desire to curb rising cases on campus.

As for the first part, I do think season ticket holders would follow the guidelines in the stadium. I also think that the College thinks those people will not confine themselves to parking, going into the stadium, then going straight back to their cars. I think that people view a football game as an all-day experience, and that the College would get the same level of grousing if they instructed ticket holders not to walk around campus before and after the game. To Tribe32's point, I also think they have run the numbers and would be losing money by allowing a limited attendance. Obviously, this decision overall is subjective. But I think it's clearly a defensible decision, consistent with the way the College handled winter sport scheduling and adjusted the semester schedules.

The College is working very hard to hold a real graduation this year with 5000 to be
allowed to attend at Zable. The last thing they want to risk is a chance of a real
virus upsurge because of allowing fans for a spring football game just weeks before the
graduation.

And, as someone else pointed out, the game is on tv. And the real football season begins just
a few months after this extended spring practice where, hopefully, we'll all be able to go
to the games.

In the Zoom call last night interim AD Martin explained to Tribal with a map of the campus that the two largest parking lots for football are at Kaplan and Yates which requires the fans to walk past residential dorms to get to Zable.

In addition the campus has had a significant rise in COVID cases with the count increasing from 67 to 111 on Monday.

While disappointing this seems an appropriate decision and consistent with the conservative approach the College has used since last August.

It is refreshing to have Jeremy be proactive in dealing with this question in a timely and transparent fashion.

How did Martin react when Tribal called the decision "utterly stupid" and said that he interprets the decision as the College not wanting his support or money?

I emailed and spoke to Martin last night after the Zoom meeting. I'm the only caller who actually called him on it during the Zoom call...but we're not supposed to discuss the meetings.

During my subsequent email & phone call, I expressed that Zable is not "in the center of our campus." Watching a game with my family, masks on, 6+ feet from others, and outside poses negligible threat and in no way encourages me to "traverse all corners of our beautiful campus." I'll say only this about our conversation...I have a ton of respect for him...no other administrator in all of college athletics would give fans his or her cell phone number and actually have a conversation. The rest of our conversation is private.

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(03-30-2021 03:21 PM)Tribal Wrote:  I emailed and spoke to Martin last night after the Zoom meeting. I'm the only caller who actually called him on it during the Zoom call...but we're not supposed to discuss the meetings.

During my subsequent email & phone call, I expressed that Zable is not "in the center of our campus." Watching a game with my family, masks on, 6+ feet from others, and outside poses negligible threat and in no way encourages me to "traverse all corners of our beautiful campus." I'll say only this about our conversation...I have a ton of respect for him...no other administrator in all of college athletics would give fans his or her cell phone number and actually have a conversation. The rest of our conversation is private.

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I can think of a commissioner.

Richmond just cancelled its game against JMU for this week due to COVID issues so will be interesting to see if we will even be able to play them on the 10th

(04-01-2021 11:19 AM)tribe_pride Wrote:  Richmond just cancelled its game against JMU for this week due to COVID issues so will be interesting to see if we will even be able to play them on the 10th

Doubtful. Protocol is 2 weeks, which would mean the end of the season for UR.

Though game planning/preparation is thrown out the door this late in the week, logic says make up the missed W&M game at JMU on Sat.