EUGENE, Oregon. – Oregon and Oregon State became the first Power 5 schools to announce that they will require vaccination tests or a negative COVID-19 test for people over the age of 12 to attend their football games.
In its announcement Friday, Oregon said the decision was made with public health authorities and “similar state institutions.” The negative result of the test must be within three days after the event.
The warrant goes into effect Monday and comes at the end of a week when state officials warned that hospitals were filling up quickly, as cases reported daily reached record numbers.
Oregon is one of the Pac-12 schools that requires vaccinating students and employees or applying for an exemption.
The Oregon football team opens its season at the 54,000-seat Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Sept. 4 against Fresno State. Oregon State begins its programming at Reser Stadium on September 11 against Hawaii.
Earlier in the day, Hawaii became the first major college football school to say it will have no fans for its season-opening sporting events due to a recent increase in COVID-19. Hawaii’s first home football game is on Sept. 5 against Portland State.
The moves come about a week after Tulane, in New Orleans, became the first football-playing school in the highest division of the NCAA to require a vaccine test or a negative test to attend sporting events.
Tulane’s decision followed a mandate set by city officials that also affects NFL Saints, but school officials said they were moving toward establishing the policy on their own.