SMU beat No. 25 Memphis 30-27 at home on Saturday to advance to 4-0 on the season — and likely earning a top-25 ranking in the process — yet no one in the Mustangs' student section was there to see it.
According to a report from The Dallas Morning News, SMU police and Dallas County sheriff's officers kicked out the students late in the first half of the game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. The action was predicated by students not adhering to social distancing guidelines and/or not wearing face coverings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Per the report, many of the students immediately left, although a large contingent remained at the top of the section. They had all dispersed by the start of the second half.
It appears police are finally beginning to clear the hill after a half of mostly maskless students congregating with no social distancing. SMU had put out a statement earlier in the week saying the crowding/mask wearing issues would be addressed. pic.twitter.com/HT5yjLCsAD
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) October 3, 2020
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The school's stadium policy mandates that there can be no more than 1,000 students in the student section — reports stated there appeared to be more there Saturday — and that students must maintain 6 feet of social distancing.
The SMU athletic department released a statement following the game to explain why the students were told to leave:
"Following last week’s home game, SMU consulted with local government and health officials on our continued commitment to social distancing and masking to provide a healthy game day experience. Throughout the week, we sent several reminders of the critical importance of following safety measures while attending the game. We also increased staffing in the student section to provide direction, monitor policy compliance and provide support.
During the game, some students began to gather and disregard these safety measures. They were asked to spread out and mask when in close contact. After numerous attempts by staff and security to get the students to comply with these safety requirements, it became necessary to clear the area. While some students did move to other areas in the stadium where they could watch in small groups at safe distances, many did leave.
While no one at SMU wants to see fans leave, it is important to preserve our privilege to host games with fans in attendance during a pandemic. The health, safety and wellbeing of our fans and students is our highest priority and we must enforce safety requirements to the greatest extent possible and to operate as we have promised local officials. Our hope is that students will be able to return for our next home game and we will continue to work toward that goal.”
