State Watch

LSU says students who get tested for coronavirus have priority for football tickets

Officials at Louisiana State University (LSU) said Monday that students who get tested for COVID-19 will have priority for football tickets.

An email to students first reported by The Advocate announced that students also would not be permitted to bring guests to games during the modified 2020 season.

Students will have until Thursday at 5 p.m. to register for tickets, according to the email.

University officials did not immediately return a request for more information.

Games will begin at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge later this month, with fans in attendance not exceeding Death Valley’s 25 percent capacity limit, according to an announcement last week.

School officials around the country have struggled to plan upcoming collegiate athletic seasons amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has left many students learning remotely or through hybrid class models.

LSU’s announcement comes just two days after health officials asked students at Michigan State to quarantine for two weeks due to a surge of new COVID-19 cases on campus.

Some schools have suspended in-person classes entirely in response to the pandemic; LSU has declined to do so and has reported more than 700 cases on campus in recent weeks as students have returned for classes, according to The Advocate.