Cavaliers Get Variance From State Health Officials For 1,944 Fans

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have received approval from state health officials to allow more fans to attend home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, but not to the extend the team had hoped.

Stephanie McCloud, director of the Ohio Department of Health, announced Tuesday that the Cavaliers may allow up to 10 percent of their home arena’s capacity, or just under 2,000 fans per game. The variance allows 1,944 fans to attend games, which is less than half of what the Cavaliers had requested in their request to state health officials.

The team was seeking approval for 4,596 fans in the lower bowl, which represents 23.7 percent of the arena’s capacity. The Cavaliers were also seeking approval for another 240 fans to be able to watch games from suites (which would represent 50 percent of capacity). The plan had gotten approval from the Cleveland Department of Health, according to reports.

Before Tuesday’s announcement, the Cavaliers had been allowed to have 300 fans at home games. Under the variance, the additional fans may begin to attend games on January 11 when the Memphis Grizzlies come to Cleveland.

“I am approving this variance because of the Cavaliers’ extremely comprehensive and detailed activation plan, and particularly given the FieldHouse’s creation of increased space on the south side, increased concourse ceiling height (by three feet) and state-of-the-art HVAC system to address air quality,” McCloud wrote in her letter to Cavaliers team officials. “This variance approval includes a requirement that is consistent with the spectator variance approvals of other sports venues.”

As part of the variance, no more than six fans may sit together and must be part of the same family or group and must be seated six feet apart from one another. The same rules apply for suites and plexiglass barriers will also be considered an alternative for the six-foot rule, the variance states.

In their original request, the Cavaliers had requested pods of eight fans.

McCloud said that the Cavaliers are responsible for enforcing social distancing guidelines and other stipulations that are called for as part of pandemic-related public gatherings. Fans will be required to wear face-coverings except when they are eating or drinking and fans will be designated where to sit on their tickets.