LSU to Prioritize Football Tickets for Students Who Get Tested for COVID-19

LSU Tigers fans cheer during the third quarter against Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 13, 2020. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

The Louisiana State University (LSU) said in an email to students on Monday that those who get tested for COVID-19 will be prioritized for football ticket sales.

The university will host its first game against Mississippi State on Sept. 26. University officials plan to fill the the stadium to 25 percent capacity as a precaution against potential transmission of the virus.

LSU President Tom Galligan said a plan is in the works that would require spectators testing negative for COVID-19 in order to attend football games.

The student ticket and testing plan is meant to incentivize testing. The email, viewed by The Epoch Times, offered students testing options on campus.

LSU opened for classes as planned on Aug. 24. The school has self-reported 754 COVID-19 cases since tracking began on Aug. 15.

Assistant Athletics Director Brian Broussard said the school is finalizing plans for how to space the students out in the arena.

The current plan would let students set up reserved seats in groups of a maximum of four people, according to the email. The student government and the university ticketing office developed the plan. Students won't be able to bring guests to the games, the email said.

Student can apply for multiple tickets, but the current plan aims to allow all applying students to attend at least one game where possible.

Student ticket prices ranges from $12 to $30, depending on the game. The tickets for the Missouri and South Carolina games will be $12. The tickets for the Mississippi State and Ole Miss will be $15. The game against Alabama will cost $30 for each student to attend.

The school allots the largest number of tickets (40 percent) to senior students. Sophomores and freshmen are allotted 20 and 15 percent respectively.

The COVID-19 disease is caused by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the coronavirus.

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, only 3.9 percent of colleges and universities are reopening with full in-person learning. Roughly one in four schools are reopening with mostly in-person learning, while 21 percent are taking a hybrid approach. More than a third of schools are operating primarily online. One in ten are conducting classes entirely online.