UND forms group to plan for reopening of athletic venues

UND Athletic Venues & Events Group is comprised of leaders from the university and the city. The group is aiming to draw up a final plan for athletic events by August 1st.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Fighting Hawk fans cannot be sure just yet what their teams seasons will look like in 2020, but by the end of this summer, they should know what they can expect at home games.

A team of representatives from UND athletics and the city of Grand Forks have come together to create the UND Athletic Venues & Events Group.

Beginning on May 8th, the group has met weekly via Zoom to discuss the best plans and practices for when it comes time to reopen athletic facilities on campus.

UND athletic director, Bill Chaves, is the chair of the group and says the main thing they wish to accomplish is a sense of consistency.

“If you are a Fighting Hawk fan, I think there has got to be an expectation across the multiple venues that we play at,” says Chaves.

No decisions have been made just yet. Current discussions include outlines for both the fan and the athlete. They will be making decisions on everything from how food is being sold to how the sidelines will look.

“What do we need to do with the athletes that are competing?” said Chaves of one of the questions the group will address. “There is another group looking at the venues and what does that look like from a concession stand point, from a sanitation standpoint, potentially a wellness-check standpoint.”

Chaves said he is confident UND will have a fall sports season to prepare for, but the group will be weighing out all possibilities of what the upcoming season could look like.

“I am very optimistic. We are planning to play in the fall and beyond, but we also have to be realistic that things could alter and we need to pivot,” said Chaves. “If that is the case, we also are modeling different scenarios that might take shape based on what we learn as we move forward.”

The group is planning to announce final plans for all of their athletic venues by August 1st.