Long Island high schools may soon be allowed to have student fans at games
High school sports across Long Island, shuttered through the fall semester because of the coronavirus pandemic, made their return at the start of the year. Still, they’ve largely gone on with one big thing missing: the student section at games. Now that may be back, too.
New York State Public High School Athletic Association executive director Robert Zayas on Thursday put out new, larger numbers for fan attendance at interscholastic sports. That means Section VIII and Section XI, the governing bodies for public school sports in Nassau and Suffolk respectively, could have 500 spectators permitted at outdoor events beginning immediately and 250 at indoor sports beginning on May 19.
"This would probably be everything: mom, dad, the siblings, the grandparents, the student body," Section XI executive director Tom Combs said. "Personally, I see it as a step in the right direction and a step toward normalcy."
Combs said the new numbers will have to be discussed and voted on by Section XI athletic directors to be adopted. He added that, if adopted, individual school districts will be given permission to limit fan attendance to smaller numbers.
Section VIII executive director Pat Pizzarelli said that in Nassau County, the state rules would be in place as long as they don’t conflict with local department of health protocols. He added that each school district will decide what attendance numbers it is comfortable with, up to the state limit.
"Plus all the protocols in place have to be followed, even at higher attendance," Pizzarelli said. "That means social distancing in the stands and masks and whatever else is in place in a district."
Section XI has been allowing two spectators per home team participant. Section VIII has largely left decisions on spectators to each school district but, in many cases, has allowed two spectators per participant from both home and visiting teams.
Another added benefit of this change could be the use of neutral sites for county postseason games or even Long Island championship games, though that remains to be seen as cost will be an issue.
Pizzarelli said he would "look into" the possibility and, while holding games at Hofstra might be prohibitively expensive for sports with attendance limits, a facility like Mitchel Field has potential.
"A neutral site would be a consideration for maybe our county championship games or Long Island championship games," Pizzarelli said. "We’ll have to see what might be possible."
Sections VIII and XI already have agreed to hold Long Island championship games in boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse and softball. One for baseball is still being negotiated.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
