Mayors from Big Ten college communities sent a letter to conference officials asking for more “practical measures” to slow the spread of COVID-19 during game days.
According to the letter, football games commonly “generate a lot of activity, social gatherings, and the consumption of alcohol,” which contribute to the spread of COVID-19.
To combat this, the mayors are asking for the following measures to be taken by the Big Ten:
***Define the metrics used for the overall community population positivity rates and test positivity.
***Work with local leaders and health departments in deciding whether or not a game should be played.
***Release game times and schedules as early as possible and make an effort to avoid having evening or late afternoon games.
Eleven mayors from Big Ten college towns in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin signed the letter. The mayor of Lansing also signed it.
Not listed in the letter are the mayors of Urbana-Champaign, IL (University of Illinois), Newark, NJ (Rutgers) and Lincoln.