Iowa State limiting attendance for athletic events

Iowa State will limit attendees at some athletic events to family and guests of athletes and staff, the university announced Wednesday amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

The restrictions will apply to Saturday’s football game against Kansas State as well as to women’s and men’s basketball through the rest of the month, The Associated Press reported.

Iowa, like numerous other states, has seen a COVID-19 surge in recent weeks. Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said that no known cases of the virus had specifically been traced back to Cyclones games, but the restrictions are a necessary precaution.

The university had previously restricted football games to 15,000 attendees and had previously planned to allow 10 percent capacity for basketball.

Iowa State said in August that it expected some 25,000 fans at its first football game of the season in September, and Pollard warned in a letter that failure to follow social distancing protocols could lead to reduced or no fans in attendance.

“An important factor in the decision to allow fans is our belief that Cyclone fans are willing to adhere to our mitigation measures,” the letter read. “The purpose of this letter is to ask for your support in helping create a safe environment while also providing our team an impactful home field advantage.”