The state of North Carolina, which will play host to the upcoming NCAA Division I Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships at the end of March in Greensboro, has loosened its coronavirus restrictions amid a rise in vaccinations and a drop in new infections in the state.
The current curfew, which extends from 10PM until 5AM, will be lifted. This takes some pressure off teams rushing to get back to their hotels post-session by the 10PM curfew, and should allow restaurants more flexibility to remain open as well.
The size of social gatherings has also been increased from 10 to 25 people indoors. The outdoor limit remains at 50.
Businesses that previously had a 30% cap on their indoor capacity are still at 30%, but that number can now exceed the 100 person limit. That includes outdoor sporting venues, outdoor bars, indoor amusement parks, and other outdoor businesses. There remains, however, a 250-person cap on indoor spaces.
Indoor venues that seat less than 5,000 people, which includes the 2,000-seat Greensboro Aquatic Center, can have up to 250 people or 30 percent of capacity, whichever is less. In the case of the GAC, the 250 people limit is less.
Workers, athletes, entertainers, and staff don’t count toward these capacity limits. That means the NCAA could, conceivably, allow very limited spectators for the NCAA Championship meets in March as they’re doing for men’s and women’s basketball NCAA tournament games (25% capacity, albeit in much larger arenas with far fewer participants).
Under the current NCAA plan, announced last week, athletes will be seated in the stands of the GAC to allow them to spread out more. That could make it difficult to also allow spectators (most likely family members of competing athletes) in the grandstand as well.
Indoor venues with a capacity of more than 5,000 seats, which includes many college and professional sports arenas, are allowed to have up to 15% of capacity. The Greensboro Coliseum, for example, which sits next door to the Greensboro Aquatic Center, is the state’s largest indoor arena, seating 23,500. Under the new guidelines, they could have up to 3,525 spectators for an event.
The PNC Arena in Raleigh will host an opening-round site of the NCAA men’s basketball national championship tournament.
“We’re sticking with the science and the data,” Governor Roy Cooper said, “and that is what has told us to ease these restrictions the way we have.”
Cooper says that part of the reopening plan is dependent on people continuing to be careful about their activities, which has not proven to be the case by-and-large to this point of the pandemic.
That includes abiding by the statewide mask mandate, which remains in effect.
“When it comes to easing some restrictions, we’re depending on people to be responsible,” Cooper continued. “Today’s action is a show of confidence and trust, but we must remain cautious. People are losing their loved ones each day. Many of us are weary, but we cannot let the weariness win.”
The new Executive Order goes into effect at 5PM on Friday, February 26.
Other updates to the restrictions:
- The governor continues to recommend that employees work remotely, where possible
- Alcohol sales for on-site consumption (namely at bars and restaurants) may now continue until 11 PM, rather than the prior cutoff of 9 PM.
With the NCAA Championship meet more than a month away and restrictions continuing to evolve, there is still time for these rules to change – in either direction – by the end of March.
The coronavirus infection numbers are trending rapidly in the right direction in North Carolina and much of the rest of the country, however. According to New York Times data, the 7-day infection rate statewide in the state is 27 new cases daily per 100,000 residents. That’s about a third of the level where numbers peaked in early January. Deaths (down 35%) and hospitalizations (down 31%) in the state are also falling rapidly.
Almost 400 North Carolinians have died from COVID-19 in the last week, with the state reporting 11,100 total deaths in the state.
The 2021 NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. The women’s meet is scheduled from March 17-20, while the men’s meet is scheduled a week later from March 24-27.
Simple solution…. Prelims… every senior competitor allowed 2 spectators. Spectators only allowed for that event. Easily should keep under the 250 mark per event.
Each finalist receives 2 tickets for that event…. 32 tickets per event. Line the parents up outside the building and parade them concurrently with the swimmers. After the event is over only top 3 significant others stay for the awards. The rest go out to the parking lot and cheer the other parents on…. socially distant of course. GAC has a very big parking lot. Let Rowdy interview the parents after to get their reaction.
I am vaccinated and volunteer to sanitize the stands in between events and as a volunteer won’t count against… Read more »
And all of a sudden you’re no longer managing a “sporting event,” you’re managing a “carnival ride.”
In your opinion, is this what’s best for the student-athletes? Or what’s best for their parents?
Funny enough I just received my request to donate to the schools athletic foundation…… I forgot that the parents haven’t invested anything over the last 20 yrs…. of course its about the student athletes…. but I don’t see why allowing 32 spectators into a facility that holds thousands for finals would be harmful… I am making the request on behalf of senior parents and parents of finalists… of which I am neither. You are welcome to sanitize the bleachers in my place….but if you want to set up a dunking booth people will appreciate it!
Ok ok. So you just confirmed that your scheme IS about the parents. Thanks, that’s all I wanted to hear.
Your word “investment” is interesting. So in that case, I guess you should consider it a payoff, right? If it’s a sacrifice, you get thanks and adoration for how much you gave because you just care so much about your child, but an investment, that’s why you’re allowed to make it about you, right?
So you’re going to have the parents parading in and out rapid-fire, somehow inserting themselves in the stands in and among the student-athletes who will also be sitting there, in between every event, trusting that the parents are just going to get up and leave (because… Read more »
Does this mean spectators for women’s NCAA’s? (Family members)
Proof that y’all just read the headline and scroll to the comments.
I read the whole article twice-it says spectators COULD be allowed-hence the question.
PNC Arena would have hosted NCAA March Madness opening rounds but the whole tournament is now being played around Indianapolis.