LSU Basketball to Open 2020-21 Season With 25% Capacity Inside PMAC

Masks and social distancing will be required starting on Monday's game against Southeastern.

LSU basketball will officially begin its 2020-21 season with fans inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The program announced on Friday that it will allow for 25% capacity inside the PMAC and fans will be required to wear face masks while following proper social distancing protocols. 

Here are just a few of the COVID-19 changes in order to watch LSU basketball live this season:

• Reserved and free parking lots will open three hours before tipoff. All reserved parking lots will require a permit. The LSU Athletic Ticket Office will contact ticketholders with information on obtaining a paid parking permit. Ticketholders in free lots will not need a permit.

• Based on updated directives from the Governor’s office and state public health officials, alcohol sales WILL NOT be available for purchase in general or premium areas of the Maravich Center. This is subject to change and LSU will continue to coordinate with state officials.

• Fans will not have access to the arena floor which will be limited to the teams, coaching staff, institutional personnel and officials who are in the Southeastern Conference testing protocols. Fans will be asked to stay at least 12 feet from any of the floor seats adjacent to the court.

• Arena entrances will open one hour prior to tip this season and all fans will need to enter through the upper ramps of the Maravich Center and sit in your assigned seats. 

A full breakdown of all the changes coming inside the PMAC this season can be found here. The Tigers are set to open their home schedule with Southeastern on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.

The decision to hold fans for basketball games is a little bit trickier than for football games. Officials across multiple conferences were concerned with allowing fans into arenas because they're enclosed while most football stadiums are outdoors.

College administrators have overwhelming concerns about basketball (indoors, amount of high-risk contacts, etc.) that I cannot imagine many if any will allow fans for games this season. https://t.co/58uygq3wlp

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 13, 2020

It'll be interesting to see how this goes for LSU as most SEC teams haven't released their gameday protocols. The Kentucky Wildcats will begin the season with mostly cardboard cutouts with a few fans sprinkled in throughout the arena while Vanderbilt won't allow fans at its games to start the season. 

LSU is currently in Saint Louis and coming off a 94-81 win over SIUE and is set to take on Saint Louis this afternoon at 2 p.m. before heading back to Baton Rouge.