Spartanburg, S.C. – In accordance with state, local, and campus COVID-19 safety measures, the Southern Conference has determined its attendance policies for several upcoming spring sport championships.
 
For the SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C., on May 1-2, spectators will not be allowed access into the Catamount Athletic Complex – but can view the event from outside of the stadium, if desired. That policy was reached following the guidelines from the state of North Carolina's Executive Order 204, which limits the capacity of venues with spectator stands at a sporting facility, stadium, sporting complex, or speedway, and viewing areas. Spectators were also not allowed at WCU's home meet earlier this month.
 
"We look forward to an exciting and competitive event at the SoCon Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Western Carolina," SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus said. "Due to compliance with area COVID-19 protocol restrictions, we regret that we will not be able to have public ticket sales this year."
 
Portions of the outdoor track & field championship is slated to be streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) on both Saturday and Sunday.
 
The location of the SoCon Softball Championship on May 13-15 has yet to be determined, as the tournament will be hosted by the No. 1 seed. Spectator policies for that tournament will be announced at a later date. The top four teams in the 2021 SoCon regular season will earn a berth in the postseason tournament. Entering the final two weeks of the schedule, WCU (20-21, 9-2 SoCon) is currently in first place, percentage points ahead of UNCG (25-14, 9-3 SoCon) with Furman (16-23, 7-4 SoCon) in third and Chattanooga (11-22, 6-7 SoCon) currently in the final transfer spot, just ahead of Mercer (20-18, 5-6 SoCon).
 
WCU softball hosts Furman (May 1-2) this weekend before ending the regular season at UNCG (May 8-9).
 
Approximately 2,500 spectators will be permitted at the SoCon Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases, which will be held at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C., from May 25-27. The number represents roughly 50 percent of the capacity of the stadium. General admission tickets are $12 each.
 
Both divisional winners from the regular season qualify for the tournament. Then, the two teams with the next two best records or winning percentage after that will also qualify, regardless of division. The seeds will be done 1-through-4 based on the best winning percentages among those four teams that qualify. Entering this week, WCU (21-11, 9-4 SoCon) leads the SoCon's Red Division while Samford (23-17, 13-5 SoCon) sits atop the Blue Division. Red Division foes Wofford (24-14, 12-6 SoCon) and Mercer (23-16, 10-5 SoCon) occupy the final two transfer spots to qualify for the four-team conference tournament.
 
Catamount baseball has four remaining league series including two on the road – at UNCG (April 30-May 1) and at The Citadel (May 21-22) – and two at home against Mercer (May 7-8) and Wofford (May 14-15).
 
In other SoCon championships not sponsored by WCU, limited spectators will be allowed at the SoCon Men's Lacrosse Championship hosted by Richmond University in Richmond, Virginia, on May 5 and 7. Attendance will be limited to 30 percent of Robins Stadium's capacity, which is approximately 1,000 spectators. Adult tournament passes will cost $15 and youth tournament passes will be $8. An adult day pass is $10 and youth day passes are $5. Children 4 and under and SoCon students with a valid school ID get in free.
 
Similarly, approximately 1,000 spectators will be permitted at the SoCon Women's Lacrosse Championship hosted by Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, at Five Star Stadium on May 6 and 8. Day passes will be $5 for ages 6 and up and children 5 and under and SoCon students with a valid SoCon school ID get in free.
 
For more information on the 2021 Southern Conference Spring Championships, visit SoConSports.com.