Daniels, Purdue looking at Ross-Ade capacity scenarios

Twenty-five percent capacity in Ross-Ade Stadium. No fans in Mackey Arena. That's the possible outlook for Purdue in 2020-21, according to school president Mitch Daniels. And athletics director Mike Bobinski said in a statement later in the day that that number serves as a starting point moving forward.

Daniels testified today as a witness before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on how to safely reopen college campuses in the fall. He was joined by Brown University president Christian Paxson, Lane College President Logan Hampton and Executive Director American Public Health Association Dr. Georges Benjamin. A number of topics were discussed, with attendance at athletic events among them.

“We are not looking at going beyond one-fourth of the capacity of our 57,000-seat stadium right now,” said Daniels. “This has been mapped out just as we have mapped out class rooms and dorm rooms to measure distance and exceed the requirements.”

As for fans being in Mackey Arena for games this coming season.

“We know that outdoors is very different,” Daniels said. “It’s very hard to spread this outdoors but we still are going to take an abundance of caution approach. I cannot tell you about indoor sports. Right now, I don’t think I see a way that we can proceed on anything like the basis we all have been familiar with.”

Daniels also indicated in testimony that the University would honor scholarships for student-athletes choosing to opt out of playing during the COVID-19 crisis.

Watch the entire hearing here.

Later the same day, Purdue athletics issued a statement from Mike Bobinski shedding additional light on the subject. :

"We are exploring several scenarios related to fans attending Purdue Athletics sporting events this fall. An initial plan uses a model of 25% capacity in Ross-Ade Stadium but that could be adjusted up or down as conditions evolve in the months ahead," Bobinski said. "We continue to work with departments across campus, as well as health and government officials to prioritize safety for all involved. Like other universities, we do not yet have specific answers regarding what the return of college athletics will look like and many variables still remain that may impact competition or venue capacity. What we do know is that we will follow the guidance of the Big Ten, NCAA and our medical advisory team to do our part to protect student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans in the most responsible manner possible."

Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?

Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast