Keith Carter: Ole Miss is working on attendance plan that “optimizes capacity”

Published 4:55 pm Tuesday, March 2, 2021

The Pavilion and Oxford-University Stadium could have a few more fans sitting in seats this weekend.

How many will get to see No. 4 Ole Miss play baseball is yet to be known, but Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves loosened nearly all COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday.

Indoor college arenas had attendance capacity increased to 50 percent with Reeves’ Executive Order 1549, which goes into effect on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and runs through March 31.

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Reeves lifted all attendance restrictions for outdoor collegiate venues, including O-U Stadium, but Ole Miss has not specified how many more fans will be allowed to attend games.

According to a statement released by Athletics Director Keith Carter on Tuesday, a plan is currently being put together.

“The past year has provided our department a tremendous learning experience for hosting events in a safe manner, and those best practices will help guide our actions as we ramp up our operation to host increased crowds,” Carter’s statement read. “Our staff is working with the Southeastern Conference and other entities to establish an attendance plan that optimizes capacity while navigating safety concerns.”

Carter told the EAGLE on Tuesday that further information will be released on Wednesday.

The Ole Miss basketball team hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday at 6 p.m. in a game that was added to make up for the Rebels losing their home game against South Carolina due to COVID-19 earlier in the season.

Ole Miss baseball hosts Belmont for a weekend series, starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Ole Miss softball team has their home opener this weekend as well, hosting Samford, North Dakota State and and Indiana State in the Ole Miss Classic.

High school indoor venues are allowed to hold 50 percent capacity, as are all outdoor venues, including baseball and softball stadiums.