Open the Coliseum

By Mark Laming, *special to The Johnsonian*

Since my freshman year at Winthrop, sporting events have always been a big part of my college experience. Winthrop athletics helped me connect with friends with common interests, have a rallying point for our university, and gave me fun activities on the weekend.

Some of the most memorable moments of my life happened by the south goal in the Winthrop Coliseum, cheering on the Eagles with a few hundred of my fellow classmates. Unfortunately, due the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person attendance at Winthrop men’s basketball games was suspended indefinitely, leaving students, alumni and fans to watch from home.

            While the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the college experience for everyone at Winthrop, one thing hasn’t changed: the success of the men’s basketball team. Winthrop’s 2020-21 roster is arguably the greatest the school has ever seen, currently boasting a 13-0 record on top of an 18–game winning streak spanning back to the 2019 season, which is tied for the longest in the entire nation.

Unfortunately, the accomplishments of our student–athletes have happened in front of completely empty stands, with nothing but unoccupied garnet bleachers and silent concourses to bear witness to this historic run. 

            To lessen the disappointment of being locked out of the arena, many Winthrop supporters have taken to social media platforms to connect with others, watch games together, and build a sense of community between fellow fans.

One fan even set up a tailgate in the parking lot of the Coliseum, watching the game on a TV mounted in a truck bed mere feet from where the action was taking place. However, these new ways of experiencing Winthrop basketball pale in comparison to watching a game from the seats of Winthrop Coliseum.

There is an inherent risk to attending any kind of gathering with the state’s current COVID-19 situation, but with mandated social distancing and mask wearing (which are standard on Winthrop’s campus), a limited number of students and community members should be allowed to safely attend Winthrop home games at reduced capacity.

The Coliseum seats over 6000 people, allowing for lots of room for social distancing, and fans would be inclined to follow the rules to ensure that they can continue to attend games. 

Our campus community has shown tremendous personal responsibility throughout the pandemic year, having some of the lowest case totals of any state school, and our students have leaned into mask wearing, social distancing, and have done what has been needed to keep their college experience safe and intact.

Local institutions like the University of South Carolina and Clemson University have hosted limited attendance sporting events with no proof of clusters stemming solely from attendance at the event. Each event had a limited number of tickets available for purchase and required attendees to wear face coverings at all times within the venue.

In July, Bristol Motor Speedway hosted 30,000 fans (25% of the massive race track’s 162,000 seat capacity) for the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star race, the largest attended professional sporting event since the beginning of the pandemic. Local health officials found no community spread traced to events at the track, and concluded that the race was conducted in a safe fashion, shielding participants, staff and fans from potential COVID-19 exposure. 

Last week, Winthrop Athletics announced an updated attendance policy that allowed a limited number of student–athlete families and friends to attend the Jan. 14 and Jan. 15 home games. All attendees were socially distanced and were required to wear masks while inside the Coliseum.

With evidence showing a return to the stands can happen safely, Winthrop’s athletic department should allow a limited number of students and community members into the Coliseum with mandated mask wearing and social distancing. The event can be executed safely with a combination of well thought out measures, personal responsibility, and motivation of our students and fans to continue to have the privilege to witness in-person games.

In a year defined by missed opportunities, stripped normalcy, and students grappling with mental health issues, the basketball team has provided a ray of light, giving all Winthrop students something to rally around and enjoy. Allowing a limited number of students into the games would give a small taste of normal, and for the two and a half hours the game is going on, an escape from the tumultuous and stressful times that we are living through.

According to Winthrop Athletic Director Ken Halpin, the athletic department will “evaluate the possibility of possibly introducing a limited number of fans” into the Coliseum after hosting “a few men’s and women’s games with families, assuming all goes well.” However, the Winthrop men’s team only has four home games remaining on the schedule before the Big South Tournament.

A limited attendance game has been proven to be safe for attendees when the rules are followed. It is time that the athletic department consider allowing us to safely gather and enjoy this historic season together as a campus community. 

Photo by Kaily Paddle