CINCINNATI — UC Bearcats' football will finish out the last three home games to stands filled only with family members and coaches, according to an announcement from UC's Department of Athletics.
The rule has been in place since the start of the season, and on Monday, the department confirmed it intends to keep it in place.
The announcement comes one week after FC Cincinnati announced on Twitter that it had obtained permission from local government agencies to allow restricted fan access at Nippert, but that UC had chosen not to allow it.
"We have continued to make these extremely difficult decisions with the safety of our UC community, fans, student-athletes, coaches and staff in mind," John Cunningham, director of athletics at UC, said in a press release. "The current level of the virus in our local community and Hamilton County is a reality we are dealing with. Our obligation to mitigate the risk of community spread has not changed and we will continue to consult with university, city and state authorities on best practices. We want fans in the stands for our games and it's heartbreaking to keep having to make decisions like this, but we want to ensure the environment is safe for everyone. We have had a number of unique fan interactive opportunities and look forward to building on that as we conclude the home football season."
