No Fans for WVU Home Opener vs. Eastern Kentucky

West Virginia will play its 2020 season opener without fans in the stands, the school announced on Thursday.

The Mountaineers will take to the surface at Milan Puskar Stadium on Sept. 12 to face Eastern Kentucky, but will do so with a crowd to cheer them on.

“We are disappointed that we will not be able to allow fans to attend the Sept. 12 home game, but we are working diligently to open our gates for Big 12 Conference play,” WVU athletic director Shane Lyons said in a press release. “It is our goal to have fans at Milan Puskar Stadium this season, but right now, that is not possible for the EKU game.

Families of players and staff will be permitted to attend. The school will be reaching out to season ticket holders with options for re-allocating their tickets. Football season ticket holders from 2019 will not have their 2020 purchase status considered when it comes to 2021 season tickets.

“Our primary collective University focus right now is on the start of classes and the safe return of our students to our WVU Campuses,”“I am hopeful that all of us will be aggressive in taking appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of this virus so that all parties can be comfortable allowing a percentage of fans to attend on Oct. 3 and beyond. Until then, I ask for your understanding of the decisions that are being made and trust that we are doing everything we can to welcome Mountaineer Nation back to one of the best atmospheres in college football.”

The kickoff time and broadcast information for the Eastern Kentucky game will be released at a later date.