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Syracuse University as of Sunday night has not received approval from New York state on SU’s plan for returning a limited number of fans to the Carrier Dome. SU men’s basketball’s penultimate home game Monday night against North Carolina is the first men’s basketball game that fans could have attended.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ruled Feb. 10 that stadiums and arenas across the state could reopen at 10% of their maximum capacity as early as Feb. 23, but local and state health department officials must first approve their plans for testing and safety protocols.

“The University has supplied the information it needs” to the necessary governing bodies that would need to approve the plan, a spokesperson for SU Athletics said Saturday. 

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon tweeted Saturday night that SU has had a plan submitted for weeks and that New York state officials did a site visit to examine safety protocols. But the state has not yet approved the testing plan, McMahon said in another tweet Saturday. 

Fans will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours and participate in temperature checks upon entry, Cuomo said Feb. 10. Masks will be required, and mandatory seating will be assigned. 

“We continue to work closely with the county and state on a plan to safely reopen the stadium, public health permitting, starting with students,” said Sarah Scalese, SU’s senior associate vice president for communications, in a statement Saturday.

SU Athletic Director John Wildhack said Feb. 2 that SU has a “great plan” that it could put in place on “relatively short notice.”

Syracuse men’s basketball will conclude home play Wednesday at 5 p.m. against Clemson.

Published on February 28, 2021 at 7:38 pm

Contact Anthony: amdabbun@syr.edu | @AnthonyDabbundo