A prominent figure in Notre Dame athletics is making his feelings known about fan-less games. Yet again.
Here’s Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick earlier this month.
“I don’t see a model where we play, at least any extended number of games, in facilities where we don’t have fans,” Swarbrick told ESPN.com. “College football is about the cheerleaders and the band and the campus environment on game day. We’re interested in solutions that allow us to have a traditional game-day experience.”
Now, fast-forward to Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the country’s foremost infectious disease experts, stated during an interview that pro sports could resume in the summer, provided there were no fans in the stadiums. Appearing on NBC‘s Lunch Talk Live with host Mike Tirico, Swarbrick was again asked about his feelings on fan-less games. And, again, he reiterated he’s no fan of no fans.
“It is not for me,” the Notre Dame AD stated succinctly. “I don’t know how we reopen our campuses. Put students back in dorms and in dining halls. And then say we can’t be in a football stadium together. That doesn’t feel compatible to me.
“Beyond the fact I think college football needs the marching band and the cheerleaders and the fans and everything that’s essential to the experience. This is more about, we have to be consistent in our approach. I’m not sure how you say ‘we’re okay with the students engaging on the field, but not fans in the stands.’
“Now, might there be approaches to fans in the stands that are a little different, that help ensure safety? Absolutely. But I can’t see playing in empty stadiums.”
In the video below, Swarbrick discusses the phone call he was on with Vice President Mike Pence earlier Tuesday.