Wake Forest will open fall sports seasons without fans, still plans for spectators at Notre Dame game

Editor2

September 1, 2020

Wake Forest will open fall sports seasons without fans, still plans for spectators at Notre Dame game

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Wake Forest will open the fall sports season without fans at home sports events — though that doesn’t extend to the Sept. 26 football game against Notre Dame in Charlotte.

Wake Forest announced Tuesday morning that, in accordance with guidance from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, it will not host fans for home contests through at least September.

The only football game this applies to is the season opener Sept. 12 against No. 1 Clemson.

A member of the school’s ticket office confirmed to the Journal that the plan for the game Sept. 26 at Bank of America Stadium, for which Wake Forest is the home team, is that fans will be in attendance. The Deacons’ other September game is at N.C. State, which previously announced it would not have fans in attendance to start the season.

The Carolina Panthers announced Monday that no fans will be allowed for the opener Sept. 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

“We understand there are many variables involved in fighting the pandemic and we respect DHHS’s guidance,” Athletics Director John Currie said through a news release. “We will miss the passion and support of Wake Forest fans in the Truist Field stands on September 12, but we will continue to work to demonstrate our ability to safely host Deacon Nation for future contests.”

The DHHS guidance extends to the Deacons’ men’s and women’s soccer programs, field hockey and volleyball — though none of those programs have released schedules for the fall.

If fans are able to attend games later in the season, tickets will be sold on an individual basis.

Wake Forest’s release also mentions that the game against Clemson will be televised, which will mean an ESPN network or ABC, but kickoff times and networks have not been released.