In January, Baxter Arena reopened its doors, allowing spectators for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Baxter Arena, with a capacity of roughly 8,000 fans, is a cornerstone to the Omaha community in hosting UNO sporting events and other communal events. Baxter Arena took the necessary precautions to minimize the exposure and ensure the safety of both the community and their employees. Baxter Arena’s assistant GM Michael Smith said it’s very strange to see sporting events without the usual, expected atmosphere.
“Typically, we would have standing room only – the whole student section would be filled, every seat would be filled and sold,” Smith said. “It was very odd to have. That was probably the lowest attended North Dakota game ever.”
following strict guidelines set in place by the arena.
There were nearly 2,000 spectators for the North Dakota matchup, approximately 25% of what the arena can hold. The players seemed to appreciate having some normalcy with supporters cheering them on said Baxter Arena usher Mike Jayne.
“The hockey fans the other night were pretty, pretty supportive and loud and I think that they [the players] fed off that a little bit, too,” he said.
The City of Omaha guidelines now allow the arena to admit up to 100% capacity, but they must adhere to social distancing protocols. With these restrictions in place, Baxter Arena is only able to safely permit 45-50% capacity. There are a few other guidelines that the arena is following to ensure the safety of the community.
- Spectators and employees are required to wear a mask at all times while inside the arena.
- There are hand sanitizing stations located throughout the concourse and place-makers throughout the venue encouraging social distancing.
- In addition, all food and beverages must be prepackaged to prevent unnecessary contact.
Baxter Arena event staff member Edvin Ortiz said that even though there are once again fans in the stands, it’s not the same.
“I don’t really get to interact as much as I’d like to with some of the spectators. I felt like I could hold more conversations. It’s more of a quick process now,” Ortiz said. “So, it feels very automated. We get people in and out, and we don’t get to make the connections that we used to.”
