How Gov. Tom Wolf’s revised COVID-19 restrictions will affect Big Ten Wrestling Championships
A limited number of player guests per institution will be allowed at the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships this weekend at the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State athletics announced Tuesday afternoon. This update comes a day after Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled revised mitigation orders on gatherings.
“Penn State and the Big Ten are excited to welcome a limited number of player guests to University Park and the BJC for this year’s championships,” the statement read.
There will still not be general public ticket sales for the event.
Wolf’s revised mitigation restrictions include: a maximum occupancy limit for indoor events to allow for 15 percent of maximum occupancy (regardless of venue size), a maximum occupancy limit for outdoor events to allow for 20 percent of maximum occupancy (regardless of venue size) and the elimination of out-of-state travel restrictions.
“Pennsylvania is taking a measured approach to revising or lifting mitigation orders,” Wolf said Monday in a statement. “The reason we are seeing cases drop can be attributed, in part, to people following the mitigation efforts we have in place. … We need to balance protecting public health with leading the state to a robust economic recovery. We are lifting mitigation efforts only when we believe it is safe to do so.”
Regardless of if events are indoors or outdoors, public health measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene still must be enforced. The new maximum occupancy limits are “permitted only if attendees and workers are able to comply with the 6-foot physical distancing requirement.”
Weeks before Penn State’s football season began on Oct. 24, Wolf introduced an amendment to indoor and outdoor gathering guidelines, allowing a limited number of people to attend both indoor and outdoor events and gatherings. But in early December, Wolf tightened mitigation restrictions, prohibiting any spectators from attending professional or collegiate sporting events.
The highest attendance in Beaver Stadium this past season was 1,500 for the Nittany Lions’ games against Ohio State, Maryland and Iowa.
With the Bryce Jordan Center having a maximum capacity of over 15,000 (which means about 2,250 spectators could be allowed), this weekend’s Big Ten Wrestling Championships has the potential to be the largest event held in accordance with the state’s restrictions in Centre County since the pandemic first struck in March 2020.
