MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will welcome fans to the WVU Coliseum, beginning with the men’s basketball home opener on Dec. 2 against Youngstown State and the women’s basketball home opener on Dec. 3 against North Alabama.
The Coliseum will operate at approximately 20% capacity as part of the health, safety and wellness measures being implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The athletics department, in conjunction with the University administration and their team of medical professionals, will not only cap attendance at approximately 3,000 fans for every home game this season, but will also take additional steps to increase fan safety.
“COVID-19 continues to present all of us with many challenges, and I am thankful for the cooperation of all parties involved in order to get the basketball season underway,” Director of Athletics Shane Lyons said. “While we hoped to be able to welcome fans back at the 25% of capacity level this season, we had to take into account the Big 12, local and state safety measures that we are following, along with safety zones around the court.
“Once these factors were considered, 20% capacity is the maximum number we can accommodate as we continue our focus on the health and safety of our student-athletes, University and community.”
Face coverings will be required of all spectators entering the Coliseum. Face coverings should always be worn while fans are in the Coliseum with the exception of when fans are eating and drinking.
Athletics already announced the switch to mobile ticketing at all gates for men’s and women’s basketball to provide a contactless entry, which is the most sanitary, efficient and quickest way to enter a sporting event. Mountaineer fans will download and store tickets to their Apple or Android smartphone, which will never leave the owner’s hands and avoids additional touching from stadium security. More information on mobile ticketing is available at WVUsports.com/MobileTickets.
With the approximate 20% capacity limit, priority admittance into men’s basketball games will go to 2020-21 Mountaineer Athletic Club members, 2019-20 men’s basketball season ticket holders, WVU students and player families. A limited number of tickets will go to the visiting team.
To accommodate as many fans as possible with tickets to as many games as possible, tickets will be sold on a single-game basis only with sales taking place one month at a time beginning with the December home games. Season tickets will not be available for the 2020-21 season.
All ticket purchases will be limited to four tickets per game per account. To maximize the number of fans who can be accommodated, seating will be allocated in socially distanced seat blocks of two or four tickets. Some fans may have to purchase two sets of two to acquire four tickets to a specific game. Four tickets together cannot be guaranteed.
Mountaineer Athletic Club (MAC) members at The Summit, Stadium Suite and Mountaineer Scholar levels will be contacted with information on purchasing a limited number of available lower level tickets for the home games in December.
Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 10, fans who were MAC members and men’s basketball season ticket holders in 2019-20 will receive information on how to purchase upper level tickets online for the December home games.
If upper level tickets remain available on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2019-20 non-MAC men’s basketball season ticket holders will receive information on how to purchase upper level tickets online for the December home games.
If upper level tickets remain available on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, active 2020 MAC members will receive information on how to purchase upper level tickets online for the December home games.
If tickets remain for any of the available December home games at the completion of the priority ticketing process, an announcement regarding general public availability will be made on Monday, Nov. 23.
While single-game parking passes will be sold to fans who have the opportunity to request single-game tickets for the games this season, tailgating will not be allowed in the game day parking lots operated by WVU Athletics. The no tailgating policy will be strictly enforced. Parking passes are $20 per pass per game.
Priority ticket information will be sent via email to the aforementioned groups via the email address on the customer’s Mountaineer Ticket Office account. Fans should login to their online WVUGAME.com account at WVUGame.com/MyAccount and click ‘Single Game Tickets’ then ‘Men’s Basketball’ to access the seat map to purchase tickets. Priority orders will only be taken online and will be limited to four tickets per transaction. Fans should call 1-800-WVU GAME for customer service assistance and more information on the single-game ticket and parking sales processes.
To ease concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic, season ticket holders from last season will still be given priority to purchase their same seats from the 2019-20 season for the 2021-22 men’s basketball season.
More information on the WVU men’s basketball student ticketing process and women’s basketball tickets for the general public will be released separately at a later date.
WVU’s Coliseum capacity plan will continually be evaluated and adjusted throughout the season, and fans will be updated of any changes based on any future changes to the status of the COVID-19 virus on the WVU campus and locally.
