WOAY – West Virginia Athletics announced Thursday that the Mountaineers’ football opener vs. Eastern Kentucky, scheduled for September 12, will be closed to the general public.
Officials say that as part of safety measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, only essential game operations personnel and families of the players and football staff will be admitted.
“We are disappointed that we will not be able to allow fans to attend the Sept. 12 home game, but we are working diligently to open our gates for Big 12 Conference play,” Director of Athletics Shane Lyons said. “It is our goal to have fans at Milan Puskar Stadium this season, but right now, that is not possible for the EKU game.”
Last week, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said there would not be a conference-wide policy regarding fan attendance, leaving the decision to local governments and health officials.
West Virginia’s first Big 12 home game is slated for October 3 against Baylor.
