Chad Goss still wanted to go.
Even after Goss, of Picayune, found out about the NCAA’s recommendation Wednesday to close its sporting events to the general public due to concerns about COVID-19, an illness caused by the novel coronavirus, he didn’t mind.
“I’m not freaking about it,” he said from the stands of MGM Park in Biloxi less than an hour before Mississippi State beat No. 4 Texas Tech 3-2 Wednesday. “When it’s time for me to go, it’s time for me to go. I’m not gonna quit living.”
By the end of the night, though, Mississippi State had taken a major step to limit Goss and his fellow Bulldog fans from attending games.
A statement from the school released Wednesday evening stated that beginning Thursday and through at least March 30, in accordance with Southeastern Conference policy, attendance at all sporting events is limited to student-athletes, coaches, event staff, essential team and conference staff, credentialed media and immediate family members of the participating student-athletes and coaches.
Since that time, the SEC has suspended regular season play for spring sports altogether through March 30.
That will affect home contests in baseball, softball, tennis and track and field.
The NCAA’s decision earlier Wednesday to impose the same attendance restrictions on the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will likely have a major impact on the Mississippi State women’s basketball program, which will in all likelihood be selected to host the first two rounds of an NCAA tournament regional next week. MSU will refund tickets purchased for women’s basketball within 30 days as Starkville misses out on a major opportunity to draw fans from around the country.
“From the city’s perspective, it’s unfortunate,” Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said. “From the team’s perspective, I think it’s unfortunate, because that’s part of what they do, and it’s part of what we enjoy.
“It’s also disappointing from the standpoint of the girls,” she added. “They’ve worked so hard all season. They’ve fought and fought and done a great job, and they have a huge, loyal fan base who loves to watch them play basketball.”
Spruill, who had purchased six tickets for the NCAA regional in Starkville, said she understands the NCAA’s reasons for erring on the side of caution. Regardless, she said, the city will get past it and support the Bulldogs anyway.
“We will roll with the decision,” Spruill said. “We’ll watch them from our TV, and hopefully they’ll know we’re cheering them on.”
Longtime Bulldog fan Carol Read of Starkville, who holds season tickets in women’s basketball, will be refunded for the three $35 tickets she bought for the regional, but she said she is still disappointed for Mississippi State’s players and fans.
“I hate it for them as well as I hate it for us,” she said.
She said the NCAA’s decision is an “overreaction” brought on by panic about the effects of COVID-19.
“I would hope that fans who thought they might be sick would be wise enough not to go, and certainly you can limit the exposure to the players,” she said.
Read also has season tickets for baseball games at Dudy Noble Field and expressed concern that she may not get her money back, but Mississippi State clarified later Wednesday that tickets to home baseball games between Thursday and March 30 will also be refunded within 30 days. Season ticket holders like Read will get their money back or receive a credit for the amount of the value of their tickets.
Economic impact
Spruill knows the impact the attendance restrictions will have on Starkville in an economic sense.
At minimum, fans will miss out on baseball series against Southeastern Conference opponents Arkansas and Kentucky, this weekend’s SEC softball series against Kentucky, five men’s tennis matches, three women’s tennis matches and the Al Schmidt Bulldog Relays track and field event on March 27.
Softball, tennis and track and field are admission-free, but Mississippi State averaged 8,586 fans for baseball games at Dudy Noble Field in 2019 and has brought in an average of 8,732 this season.
On top of that, the NCAA women’s basketball regional — which Starkville will host for the fifth straight year in March — drew an average of 9,956 fans per game in 2019, alone.
“It impacts us because we look forward to have people come into town,” Spruill said. “That’s part of what we do, and it’s part of what makes us who we are: We welcome people into the community, and we enjoy that, and we’re geared for that.”
That will impact restaurants, hotels and other retailers. And the hurt won’t stop at the Oktibbeha County line.
Nancy Carpenter, CEO for the Columbus-Lowndes County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said hotel stays in Columbus could also experience a decline from the lack of fans attending the NCAA women’s basketball regional.
“Certainly that will impact what we had hoped would be a good tournament stay for us,” Carpenter said of the NCAA’s decision.
Mississippi State will update its proposed time frame on its attendance restrictions when further information becomes available, the school said.
For now, “MSU Athletics will continue to monitor and evaluate the COVID-19 situation with university leadership, the SEC and NCAA,” according to the statement. “Taking all precautions to protect our student-athletes, coaches, staff, fans and community remains our top priority.”
Dispatch staff writer Ben Portnoy contributed to this report.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 31 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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Lynn Spruill
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Dudy Noble Field/Polk-Dement Stadium is pictured in this 2019 Dispatch file photo. Photo by: Dispatch file photo
