LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — UK Athletics released its latest guidelines Friday to maintain the highest health standards in Memorial Coliseum and Rupp Area as basketball prepares to tip-off for the 2020-21 season.
At this point, the anticipated attendance for this season at Rupp Arena and Memorial Coliseum is up to 15% of normal arena capacity, which includes participants, essential personnel, media, and a limited number of spectators. All plans are subject to change based on evolving information as well as local, state, and national public health developments.
Gameday Changes
UK Athletics has taken advice from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, UK health officials, the city of Lexington and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In response, UK's plan includes a number of new measures to promote a healthy game-day experience at Rupp Arena and Memorial Coliseum.
These measures include, but are not limited to:
- Enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures throughout the arena prior to and during all events.
- Mobile ticketing to reduce contact between staff and fans.
- Requiring face coverings for all fans at all times, with the exception of when fans are actively eating or drinking while sitting in their seats.
- Requiring fans to keep the proper physical distance.
- Providing signage in common areas to assist with physical distancing.
- Locating hand sanitization and washing stations located throughout the arena.
- Increasing physical spacing while using elevators by reducing the capacity of each elevator.
- Providing concessions featuring cashless transactions.
- Discouraging the bringing of bags of any sort. Only small, clear bags will be admitted
A complete list of the new gameday regulations will be available soon at the UK Athletics Gameday website.
Ticket Information and Options
The UK Ticket Office and K Fund will communicate directly with season ticket holders in the coming days to provide additional information regarding 2020-21 season tickets and to begin the ticketing process. Tickets will be sold in season packages for both men's and women's basketball, and K Fund priority rankings will determine the order for ticket assignment.
Men's basketball season ticket holders will receive an email with further details on Friday, and women's basketball season ticket holders will receive an email with more information early next week.
Available tickets will be physically distanced throughout Rupp Arena and Memorial Coliseum and will be primarily sold in small blocks of two, three and four seats in order to maximize attendance opportunities for a greater number of season ticket accounts.
All seating will be reserved, and ticket holders will be required to sit in their assigned seats. UK Athletics hopes to accommodate as many ticket accounts as possible, though there is no guarantee that every season ticket holder will be able to purchase tickets due to the limited capacity.
Details about student ticketing will be communicated once those plans are finalized. Student tickets will be issued on a single-game basis.
