Posted: Jan 11, 2021
Reminder: Texas Lutheran athletics seasons will start without spectators in attendance
SEGUIN, Texas -- Texas Lutheran Athletics announced Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 that its home athletics events, which start as early as Jan. 29, will be contested without spectators in attendance.
"Considering the seriousness of the pandemic that has gripped the nation, TLU will not permit spectators at any of the university's home sporting events this spring until pandemic conditions improve enough to allow for safe participation by spectators," said Bill Miller, TLU Director of Athletics. "This policy is consistent with other institutions within the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference."
"No spectators will be allowed inside or directly outside any sports venue. The term 'spectators' includes all parents, other family members, students, faculty, staff, alumni, honorary coaches, sports enthusiasts, and anyone else who is not directly associated with game-day administration. We do apologize for this inconvenience, but our number one priority is for our student-athletes, coaching staff, and trainers to be able to engage in a game-day atmosphere that is safe for all participants involved."
In early December, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, TLU's conference for 15 of its 18 intercollegiate sports, announced that all of its member institutions were moving forward with athletic competition in the spring semester. The SCAC's announcement came after continuing discussions throughout the fall semester by the league's COVID Task Force in consultation with each institution's president, athletic director, athletic trainer and game day management personnel.
Fifteen of TLU's 18 intercollegiate sports programs play in the SCAC. TLU Football plays in the American Southwest Conference, and TLU's men's and women's indoor track & field programs compete as independents.
TLU's first home athletic contests of the spring semester are women's and men's basketball contests on Jan. 29 against Trinity University in TLU's Memorial Gymnasium. The women's game starts at 5 p.m., and the men's game begins at 8 p.m. The Bulldogs and Tigers play again in Seguin the very next day, Jan. 30, with contests scheduled for 1 p.m. (women) and 4 p.m. (men).
All four of these basketball contests and many other home TLU sporting events will be broadcast via free webcasts on tlubulldogs.com. A total of 76 athletics events are planned to be streamed on tlubulldogs.com this spring. Webcasts schedules are being finalized this week. The direct link to TLU Athletics webcasts is: https://portal.
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"If spectators of any kind attempt to view games in-person, for example through the perimeter fencing surrounding the sports venue, the University Police Department will ask the offenders to leave the premises," Miller added. "During the course of the semester, if conditions improve to allow spectator attendance at events, this policy will be adjusted accordingly."
TLU's football season in the ASC remains on track. While TLU will not allow spectators into its football contests, each institution within the ASC has different guidelines on fan attendance. Some ASC schools will allow fans at football contests. For a list of the ASC schools' attendance policies, visit: www.ascsports.org.
TLU and all of its fellow football members in the ASC will play four games against divisional opponents and a final game against a cross-divisional opponent. The conference's football schedule will be played under a two-division model with teams closing the 2020-21 season with a playoff pitting teams cross-seeded in a single game.
TLU Football begins its 2020-21 season with a noon kickoff at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas on Feb. 6. TLU will have a live webcast of the TLU v. Howard Payne football game. TLU's first home football game is scheduled for Feb. 13 against McMurry. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
In the SCAC, men's and women's basketball will move to a conference-only scheduling model with each team slated to play a 12-game schedule. Play is scheduled to begin Jan. 15 and run through the weekend of Feb. 26-27.
TLU women's and men's basketball play on the road this weekend with games Friday and Saturday at Centenary College. The contests on Friday in Shreveport, La. are set for 5 and 8 p.m. starts, with the women's game played first. Saturday's games, also with the women's game first, are set for 1 and 4 p.m. All four games will be played in Centenary's Gold Dome, located on the Centenary campus in Shreveport.
COVID-19 testing for TLU student-athletes will be completed according to the policies and guidelines set by the SCAC and NCAA.
"Considering the seriousness of the pandemic that has gripped the nation, TLU will not permit spectators at any of the university's home sporting events this spring until pandemic conditions improve enough to allow for safe participation by spectators," said Bill Miller, TLU Director of Athletics. "This policy is consistent with other institutions within the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference."
"No spectators will be allowed inside or directly outside any sports venue. The term 'spectators' includes all parents, other family members, students, faculty, staff, alumni, honorary coaches, sports enthusiasts, and anyone else who is not directly associated with game-day administration. We do apologize for this inconvenience, but our number one priority is for our student-athletes, coaching staff, and trainers to be able to engage in a game-day atmosphere that is safe for all participants involved."
In early December, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, TLU's conference for 15 of its 18 intercollegiate sports, announced that all of its member institutions were moving forward with athletic competition in the spring semester. The SCAC's announcement came after continuing discussions throughout the fall semester by the league's COVID Task Force in consultation with each institution's president, athletic director, athletic trainer and game day management personnel.
Fifteen of TLU's 18 intercollegiate sports programs play in the SCAC. TLU Football plays in the American Southwest Conference, and TLU's men's and women's indoor track & field programs compete as independents.
TLU's first home athletic contests of the spring semester are women's and men's basketball contests on Jan. 29 against Trinity University in TLU's Memorial Gymnasium. The women's game starts at 5 p.m., and the men's game begins at 8 p.m. The Bulldogs and Tigers play again in Seguin the very next day, Jan. 30, with contests scheduled for 1 p.m. (women) and 4 p.m. (men).
All four of these basketball contests and many other home TLU sporting events will be broadcast via free webcasts on tlubulldogs.com. A total of 76 athletics events are planned to be streamed on tlubulldogs.com this spring. Webcasts schedules are being finalized this week. The direct link to TLU Athletics webcasts is: https://portal.
"If spectators of any kind attempt to view games in-person, for example through the perimeter fencing surrounding the sports venue, the University Police Department will ask the offenders to leave the premises," Miller added. "During the course of the semester, if conditions improve to allow spectator attendance at events, this policy will be adjusted accordingly."
TLU's football season in the ASC remains on track. While TLU will not allow spectators into its football contests, each institution within the ASC has different guidelines on fan attendance. Some ASC schools will allow fans at football contests. For a list of the ASC schools' attendance policies, visit: www.ascsports.org.
TLU and all of its fellow football members in the ASC will play four games against divisional opponents and a final game against a cross-divisional opponent. The conference's football schedule will be played under a two-division model with teams closing the 2020-21 season with a playoff pitting teams cross-seeded in a single game.
TLU Football begins its 2020-21 season with a noon kickoff at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas on Feb. 6. TLU will have a live webcast of the TLU v. Howard Payne football game. TLU's first home football game is scheduled for Feb. 13 against McMurry. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
In the SCAC, men's and women's basketball will move to a conference-only scheduling model with each team slated to play a 12-game schedule. Play is scheduled to begin Jan. 15 and run through the weekend of Feb. 26-27.
TLU women's and men's basketball play on the road this weekend with games Friday and Saturday at Centenary College. The contests on Friday in Shreveport, La. are set for 5 and 8 p.m. starts, with the women's game played first. Saturday's games, also with the women's game first, are set for 1 and 4 p.m. All four games will be played in Centenary's Gold Dome, located on the Centenary campus in Shreveport.
COVID-19 testing for TLU student-athletes will be completed according to the policies and guidelines set by the SCAC and NCAA.
For more information on TLU's intercollegiate play in the COVID-19 era, be sure to check the TLU Athletics website at www.tlubulldogs.com, the SCAC website at www.scacsports.com, and the ASC website at www.ascsports.org. TLU Athletics news also can be found on Twitter (@tluathletics), Instagram (@tlubulldogs), Facebook (@tlubulldogs), and YouTube (TLUBulldogs).
For general TLU information regarding COVID-19, visit www.tlu.edu.