How Wofford sports will be adjusting in spring 2021

As comes with the territory of this COVID-19 school year, the world of sports has had to make some significant adjustments in both scheduling and procedure.

Wofford’s football team finalized their schedule on Nov. 2, following the lead of other teams in the Southern Conference. This announcement gave students and other fans weekends to look forward to with exciting games promised. Watching our peers do what they love and show off their talents will inevitably give a much needed boost to on-campus morale.

But what will a spring look like when all of these Division 1 athletes have to share the stage with one another? Not only the metaphorical stage, but how about the very real and finite amount of trainers and practice times? And what is a sporting event without the ever-popular tailgating in the Veranda Lot in black and gold outfits?

Robert Lineburg ’23, a student worker for the athletic department, discussed the anticipated adjustments on the part of both student athletes and fans.

Along with cramming multiple sporting events into one day and evening, Lineburg anticipates “a reduction in fan attendance to certain events.”

Fans simply cannot be in two places at once. This factors in not only the multiple sports teams playing, but also, in some cases, both the men’s and women’s teams having events on the same night.

Rett Russell ’22, outside linebacker for the Terriers, sounded cautiously optimistic about his third season.

“It’s been really hard these past couple of months because we never knew what to expect about a season or about life in general,” Russell said. “I think the spring [season] will be fine, just incredibly busy for everyone involved in athletics!”

The bottom line is that sports are not and will not be immune to the effects of this pandemic, but our athletes and their staff will continue to work hard to provide us with seasons worth watching and remembering. Their dedication has continued during our period of quarantine and this fall semester, having to implement socially distant and COVID-19 safe workouts and practices.

The sense of normalcy found in sup- porting our athletic teams at their in person events will be such a privilege, and there is no doubt that our terriers will continue to conquer and prevail, COVID-19 and all!