Why NC State football parents asked Gov. Cooper’s office for a COVID-19 rule change
Parents of N.C. State football players have gotten together and are making a push to attend Saturday’s home opener against Wake Forest.
The parents drafted a petition to try and sway Governor Roy Cooper to allow them into Carter-Finley Stadium.
The state is still under Phase 2.5, which allows only 50 people in an outdoor arena.
The opening paragraph of the petition read: “We, the undersigned, as parents of the players of North Carolina State University football do, do hereby execute this petition to the Honorable Roy Cooper, Governor of the State of North Carolina, to reconsider his decision to deny ALL parents the ability to support their sons in person, by attending home football games;”
John Ruocchio, the father of redshirt senior tight end Thomas Ruocchio, and parents of seven other players gathered downtown Thursday morning in front of the Department of Administration. They waited in the lobby for someone from the governor’s office to officially receive the petition, which had signatures of 96 parents. Like so many fans, Ruocchio watched college football on television last weekend and saw many empty stadiums, with plenty of room for parents.
“If you have a football game, you have 200 people on the field, so he (Cooper) has already amended his order,” Ruocchio said. “The question that we have as parents, if you’ve already amended your order explain to us how less than 500 people, socially distancing, wearing masks in a stadium of 57,000 can’t attend. If you think about the math it’s less than one percent of the capacity of the stadium. That’s our issue.”
N.C. State was allotted 50 tickets for player parents. The 50 tickets will first be offered to the fourth-and fifth-year players. Each of those players will get two tickets. If they don’t use those tickets, the remaining tickets will be entered into a lottery system for the third-year players.
Ruocchio tried to reach someone at the governor’s office earlier in the week, but failed to get anyone on the phone. He thought it would be a good idea to get the parents together and put together a petition. Emails started circulating between the parents on Monday morning.
“We had no choice but to try and get an answer,” Ruocchio said. “That’s why we’re here. We just want an answer as to the science to how less than 500 people can’t socially distance.”
Ruocchio admitted he wasn’t optimistic that the parents would get good news.
“I think that the governor will not respond to us,” Ruocchio said. “But the answer to every question is no until you ask it.”
Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, were asked about the petition at a Thursday afternoon press conference. Cohen said her department is “looking at that issue” as coronavirus trends continue to improve.
“We very much recognize that parents want to see their kids play,” Cohen said.
Last week before the first full weekend of college football, chancellors, presidents and athletic directors from six NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision schools in North Carolina — Appalachian State, Charlotte, East Carolina, N.C. State, UNC and Wake Forest — all signed a letter to Governor Roy Cooper asking that the policy be re-evaluated.
“The parents just don’t understand,” Ruocchio said. “Since our kids have played football at age five we’ve been there. We’ve been there to support our kids and here we are, we just aren’t allowed to support our kids by an order of a governor who won’t explain why we can’t. We love our kids, we just want to be there for them, and if you talk to our kids, they want us there.”
UNC was allowed to let 25 people, parents of seniors, into Kenan Stadium for its season-opening win over Syracuse last weekend. N.C. State football coach Dave Doeren told the media on Thursday that the players have been through a lot and would love to look up and see their parents.
“I understand there’s rules and regulations and you don’t want to open up Pandora’s box for everybody,” Doeren said. “But this seems like there should be a little flexibility when you see a lot of people hanging out on a patio at a bar, but you can’t have 500 parents in a 60,000 seat stadium. Doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
Orange County is sticking with a 25-person outdoor mass gathering limit — the requirement under Gov. Roy Cooper’s Phase 2.
The News & Observer reached out to the governor’s office for comment about the petition. A meeting with the White House Coronavirus Task force determined that North Carolina was still in the red zone for cases.
“State health officials understand the desire of parents to watch their children compete and for life to return to normal,” Kelly Connor, NC Department of Health and Human Services communication manager said. “We’ve made progress in North Carolina and avoided the surges seen in other states, and as our numbers continue to stabilize and go down, the state will continue a dimmer switch approach to lifting COVID-19 restrictions. But based on current trends, the limitations on spectators at large venues and mass gatherings remain in place.”
On August 31, N.C. State announced that no fans would be allowed inside the stadium for the month of September.
Athletic Director Boo Corrigan made the announcement in a release.
“We understand this may be difficult news for Wolfpack nation, but given the information available to us at the current time, we are making the responsible decision to begin our season without spectators,” Corrigan said.
The petition references crowds of at least 400 or more people at department stores such as Target, Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes, who are allowed to shop and maintain social distance. The petition also referenced indoor seating at restaurants.
This story was originally published September 17, 2020 at 8:56 AM.
