Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
There are very few things more uniquely Orange than attending an event at our iconic stadium. This is an experience many of us have been missing throughout the pandemic. For that reason, we are pleased to share that late last night the University and New York State came to an agreement that will allow us to reopen the stadium to a limited number of fans, starting first with our students.
As a result, Syracuse University will become the first major college sports arena in New York State to “pilot” a reopening plan, when we welcome up to 900 students (beginning with students who are season ticket holders) at Saturday’s men’s lacrosse game against the University of Vermont.
Working in partnership with New York State, the University’s plan to reopen the stadium includes significant COVID-related safeguards, such as enhanced testing, to ensure the health and well-being of our campus and surrounding communities. As a condition of attendance, our students must undergo a COVID-19 screening at the Stadium Testing Center 24 hours prior to the event. Upon entering the stadium, students will receive a second COVID test—this one will be a rapid (15-minute) test. A negative result on both tests is required for admission to the game, and these tests will be administered at no cost to students. Later this morning, student season ticket holders will receive communication from the Box Office with additional details concerning ticketing and other mandatory public health guidance.
We appreciate the state’s ongoing partnership and support in this effort, and we are especially grateful for the state’s support of a reopening plan that does not unduly burden our students and eventually fans with the potentially significant cost associated with third-party provided COVID testing. As a world-class research institution, we have the scientists, the facilities and the resources to provide high-quality and low-cost COVID surveillance testing to anyone seeking entrance to our facilities, and by allowing us to leverage our COVID surveillance testing infrastructure, the state has helped us ensure that access to our stadium events will be equitable and inclusive.
For supporting the University to reach this important milestone, we would like to thank and acknowledge the Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, and also Matt Driscoll, the executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority and captain of Central New York’s Regional Control Room. Their partnership and advocacy played a central role in achieving this positive outcome.
We continue to be grateful to our students and our fans for your support and your patience. The reopening of the Syracuse University stadium to fans represents one step toward a return to normalcy. If we continue to move forward together and remain committed to the public health behaviors proven to keep us safe and stop COVID transmission, our return to the many other activities important to campus life will surely follow.
Sincerely,
J. Michael Haynie
Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation
John Wildhack
Director of Athletics
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