The Return

Safety and spirit are as important as purple and gold as indoor Husky athletics heat up winter Pac-12 competition

BY MARK MOSCHETTI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Winter is on the way. So is basketball. And gymnastics. Indoor track and field, too. Washington Huskies fans are also on the way.

With action now shifting exclusively to Hec Edmundson Pavilion / Alaska Airlines Arena, and Dempsey Indoor, UW fans will be welcomed back to those venues after a season of not being able to root for their favorite teams and athletes in person.

The men’s and women’s basketball seasons have tipped off already.

Those games will be mixed in with the start of Pacific-12 Conference play. The men open conference play at home Jan. 12 versus California. The women, under the direction of new head coach Tina Langley, start off against Stanford on New Year’s Eve at 7 p.m.

Gymnastics gets going after the holidays, with the first home meet set for Jan. 22 against California at 1 p.m. Indoor track and field at Dempsey Indoor opens on Jan. 15 with the UW Indoor Preview, with action beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing throughout the day.

As has been the case throughout the fall for football, volleyball, and soccer, fans can expect some differences from the last time they were able to visit the arena and the indoor track facility back in the winter of 2020.

• Following guidelines issued by King County, facemasks will be required at both venues, regardless of vaccination status, and UW athletics personnel will enforce that. The only time masks can be removed is while eating or drinking items purchased at the concession stands.

• All fans age 12 and older will be required to provide proof of vaccination That proof can be in the form of the actual CDC COVID-19 vaccine record card, or a photo of that card; a printed certificate or QR code from MyIRMobile.com, or other immunization record from within or outside the United States, including from your healthcare provider. A photo or photocopy of that card also is acceptable.

• Fans who do not have a vaccine card must provide a copy of a COVID negative PCR or Antigen COVID-19 test that is FDA-approved and taken within 72 hours of the event and administered by a healthcare professional. • In following King County’s mandate, no personal ID is needed with the vaccination card / negative test.

• Fans under age 12 are currently exempt from the vaccine card or negative COVID test requirements.

As was the case during the fall, all ticketing will be mobile only. Fans will need to download tickets to their device prior to arrival. Print-at-home tickets are no longer available. Fans who do not have a smartphone can contact the Husky Ticket Office at (206) 543-2200 or e-mail to tickets@ uw.edu for assistance.

Concession and souvenir purchases will require the use of a credit or debit card. Cash will not be accepted.