According to the order, “spectators are not permitted at the contact sports competitive inter-club/team play.” Per Marcus Hartman of The Dayton Daily News, the Ohio Department of Health has confirmed that this ruling applies to collegiate and professional sports, meaning that fans are currently prohibited from attending Ohio State football and Cleveland Browns’ home games.
According to the ODH, the following competitions qualify as contact sports: football, basketball, rugby, field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, wrestling, hockey, boxing, futsal and martial arts with opponents.
Both Ohio State football and the Browns have given their season ticket holders the ability to opt-out of their tickets for the upcoming season — although if the ODH’s current order holds, it appears they won’t have a choice. The Aug. 1 order — which extends a previous order regarding athletic competitions in the state — is slated to be in effect until Ohio’s state of emergency is declared over or it is modified.
On Sunday, the Ohio High School Athletic Association communicated that it has asked the ODH to modify aspects of the order, including its stance on spectators. You can read the full order, which also requires mandatory COVID-19 testing for all participants and coaches prior to competition in contact sports, here.