Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke said that the university is “pleased and appreciative” of the new COVID-19 mitigation guidelines for sporting events released by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf on Tuesday that will permit fans to attend university sporting events when they go into effect on Friday.
“After we receive additional consultation from Allegheny County and University officials, we will look forward to communicating our attendance plans for Pitt football at Heinz Field very soon,” Lyke said. “Even with new allowances for attendance, we will remain as vigilant as ever in prioritizing health and safety in each of our sports venues.”
Pitt does not have a home football game until Oct. 24, when the Panthers will host Notre Dame.
Lyke and Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi have previously stated that the parents of Pitt players, the band, majorettes, cheerleaders, dance team, the student section and suite holders will receive priority at Heinz Field.
In addition to football, the Panthers have home volleyball games on Friday and Saturday against Boston College and men’s soccer match at home on Saturday against Virginia Tech. It’s not clear at this point if Pitt will allow fans to attend games at the school’s on-campus venues at this time.
As a school, Pitt reported one new positive COVID-19 case during its last bi-weekly update on Oct. 1, with a total of 253 positive cases since Aug. 1.
