Dan Radakovich Addresses Clemson Family
The college football season is currently in flux. While all signs seem to point to a season being played, no one is exactly sure what that season will look like.
While conference officials are busy attempting to put a season together under unusual circumstances, officials at Clemson are trying to ensure that any plan that is implemented will be done so as safely as possible.
The school recently surveyed more than 11,000 IPTAY members regarding their feelings and comfort levels towards a fall football season. More than 8,500 members responded.
With the results of that survey now known, Clemson Athletic Director Dan Radakovich addressed the Clemson fan base on Monday in an open letter, noting what he considered the most interesting takeaways.
- 84% of fans noted that they are comfortable coming to games this fall if social distancing is implemented.
- Overall, regardless of operations, 49.1% would be comfortable in games in September, 58.3% would be comfortable in games in October and 62.8% would be comfortable in games in November;
- 39.9% of respondents cited being in a crowd as their biggest concern for not attending games.
- 21.0% of fans are willing to tailgate if they do not receive tickets to the game.
- Where ‘2’ is an expectation and ‘3’ is a must, fans in Memorial Stadium expect CUAD to provide hand sanitizer stations (2.6/3), require staff to wear face coverings (2.35/3), require all fans to wear face coverings (2.17/3) and facilitate physical distancing (2.07/3).
He also reiterated the fact that the school is committed to keeping its student-athletes and fans as safe as possible. At the same time he is asking everyone to remain patient as they figure out the best way to move forward.
"We’ll continue to consult with the best experts in the university, state and nation on each of these items," Radakovich said. "From safety to stadium operations and everything in between. In the meantime, I ask for your continued patience."
Radakovich also touched on some of the other challenges the school has faced in recent months, including racial tensions on campus. The school has found itself in the news on more than one occasion for perceived racial issues in the football program.
"There are other important areas of concern over the last several months, Radakovixh said. "Our staff and student-athletes engaged in meaningful conversations and learning opportunities around racial inequality in America—and here at Clemson."
"Our Diversity and Inclusion planning is ongoing and we’ve had the chance to share this with our staff. We appreciate the University’s "ClemsonForward" initiative in this area, and we have gotten valuable feedback."
He also broached a couple of other things in his letter, including "Clemson Voices," a new initiative which focuses on concerns of student-athletes and staff regarding racial inequality and other social issues.
Another subject he brought up was the new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation. Radakovich recently represented the ACC in speaking to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the subject and is confident Clemson will be ready when the new rule goes into effect.
"At Clemson, we will continue our partnership with Opendorse, which includes participation in the Opendorse Ready program," Radakovich said. "Opendorse is a technology platform for content and social media, and the team has been key in helping create educational programming. Whenever NIL legislation goes into effect, our students will have the best tools at their disposal."
