UM President Julio Frenk: 'No Alcohol Sales At Hard Rock Stadium During UM Games, No Students Allowed To Attend First 2 Games'
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - With just about two to the first Hurricane football game of the season, the University of Miami President has announced changes for both fans and students.
In a letter sent out Friday, UM President Julio Frenk says, first of all, there will be no alcohol in Hard Rock Stadium for UM games.
In addition, students will not be allowed to the first two home games.
Frenk cites the increasing number of student cases they have seen already. His letter reads, in part:
"When it comes to <a href="https://miami.cbslocal.com/category/coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">COVID-19</a>, it is not enough to expect the worst and hope for the best. We must work together to bring about the best possible scenario. The decisions we make will be based on this premise—whether it is administrators reevaluating student attendance at live games, coaches calling plays, or student-athletes making smart decisions on and off the field."
Some students, like Ruth Stokes, say it's no big deal.
"I don't tend to go to the football games anyway, so it's not really a COVID thing for me," she says. "But it's probably good they're being cautious."
Others, like Alec Ratchford, say this is yet another part of the college experience they're missing out on.
"I'm thinking will still have a good year," he says. "But I'm hoping, even besides football, I want to be able to go outside and see my friends, so we will have to see. But I'm definitely disappointed that we're not allowed to go."
This decision comes after it was announced Monday that 13,000 mask-wearing fins and canes fans would be allowed into Hard Rock Stadium for their respective home openers. UM plays September 10, and the Dolphins play September 20.
With safety in mind, millions of dollars were spent to upgrade the stadium.
Changes include contactless entry, touch-free restrooms, distanced seats, hospital-grade air filtration, and no tailgating.
According to the University of Miami online dashboard, there have been 103 new positive cases on campus in the last week, with 119 people in quarantine after potential exposure.
