Stanford will limit crowd size at athletic events because of coronavirus concerns

Stanford University announced late Thursday that it will limit crowd size at athletic events because of concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.

The university said attendance will be limited to one-third of capacity through April 15 or until further notice to allow fans to "spread out throughout the venue to create comfortable distance between you and your fellow attendees."

That could affect the early rounds of the NCAA women's tournament because No. 8 Stanford could be one of the host schools for the March 21-23 games, the San Jose Mercury-News reported.

Stanford said information about tournament games would be revealed when it becomes available.

Maples Pavilion will be limited to 2,345 for basketball and 2,195 for wrestling, men's gymnastics and men's volleyball.

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Baseball attendance at Sunken Diamond will be limited to 1,000. The one-third limit will affect other athletic facilities.

The university also urged fans who feel ill not to attend games and repeated the recommendation by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department "that people at higher risk of severe illness, including individuals over the age of 50 and individuals with underlying health conditions, avoid mass gatherings."

Stanford also said it would increase the frequency of cleaning in commonly used areas at athletic facilities.

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