SEC restricts fan attendance through March 30. What it means for Georgia gymnastics

Georgia gymnastics’ final regular-season meet will have a different feel Saturday. Stegeman Coliseum will be empty.

The Southeastern Conference on Wednesday evening announced heavy restrictions for attendance for events through March 30. The announcement comes after the advisory sent by the NCAA regarding the outbreak of COVID-19, a respiratory illness that has resulted in over 1,000 cases throughout the United States.

Those permitted to attend these events are essential staff members, limited family members and credentialed media. This includes the GymDogs’ senior night meet along with the SEC championships March 21 at the Infinite Energy Arena and any NCAA postseason competition (regionals and national championships) that would follow.

Georgia also holds softball games and tennis matches on campus this weekend, so those will also be altered by the SEC’s mandate.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey issued a statement Wednesday evening after the conference placed the same limits on the SEC men’s basketball tournament in Nashville, Tenn.: “After conferring with local and national health authorities, we remain confident in our ability to safeguard the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and other staff who will be participating as well as the limited number of family members and media who will be in attendance at the tournament. We regret the inconvenience and disappointment this decision has caused our fans.”

Georgia gymnastics intended to honor its senior class — Sabrina Vega, Rachel Dickson and student coach Jordyn Pedersen — in front of a crowd of nearly 10,000 fans. Suddenly, that total will dwindle to a select few.

Head coach Courtney Kupets Carter said that as of 1 p.m. Wednesday she was unaware of any changes to the meet, but that the gymnasts were reminded of hand washing and proper hygiene in an effort to minimize chances of contracting the illness.

After the SEC’s announcement, Georgia could not be immediately reached for comment.

Uniquely enough, the GymDogs have been in a similar spot this season — only in a much-smaller venue. Georgia performed in a hotel ballroom for the season-opening Critique Classic Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida and scored a 195.100 to top Bridgeport, Iowa and Oregon State. After the meet, some of the gymnasts shared their difficulties of competing with quiet circumstances. Now that challenge presents itself again on the team’s home floor.

As the season dwindles, the GymDogs will make a postseason push without a group it holds in high value — the fan base. Georgia’s gymnasts spend time after each meet signing, taking photos and spending time with fans. The GymDogs also feed off of the energy that an electric crowd brings, especially given that Georgia posts one of the largest attendance numbers nationally for gymnastics.

Now it’ll all be empty.

“We do have a great interaction with our fan base. They mean a lot to this program,” Kupets Carter said Wednesday. “That interaction is a testament to how strong the fans are and how appreciative the gymnasts are. We love an opportunity to see fans and interact with them.

This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 11:15 PM.