Healthy Brown

Athletics & Recreation

The pandemic’s evolution and public health guidance from officials are guiding phased decision-making on varsity athletics, recreational programs and fitness facilities.

Athletics & Recreation is planning for a return to full activity, starting this fall with the resumption of intercollegiate practice and competition activities and increased activities for club sports, intramural and recreation. Varsity student-athletes on fall teams are scheduled to report for pre-season practices starting August 17 and Brown will host its first home contest of the 2021-22 athletic campaign on Sunday, August 29th at 1:00 p.m. a women’s soccer game against Holy Cross.

Team practices may be held both indoors and outdoors with full team practices inclusive of all team members, coaches and support staff. All practices, strength and conditioning sessions, and sports medicine activities must be supervised by team coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, and athletic trainers. The number of athletes permitted in indoor practices is limited by the capacity of each facility, based upon RIDOH guidelines for maximum occupants per square foot.

While actively participating in practice/games, student-athletes are not required to wear a face covering during either inside or outside activities. However, all student-athletes must maintain social distancing and wear a face covering when not actively competing in a drill or in competition (indoors) and must maintain social distancing when not actively competing in a drill or in competition (outdoors). Face coverings must be worn at all times in the strength & conditioning facility, in the athletic training rooms, and during in-person team meetings.

Athletic facilities are also open for voluntary activities for student-athletes.

Attendance at Athletic Contests

Brown will welcome spectators to campus for home athletic contests. All spectators must comply with the University’s COVID-19 Campus Safety Policy and follow all guidance, direction and requirements regarding COVID-19 health and safety protocols, including at events. Visitors to and guests of Brown University are explicitly subject to the provisions and expectations outlined here for vaccinations and masking.

Additional FAQs regarding fans at athletic contests can be found here.

Brown will employ contactless ticketing for all ticketed events (football, men’s & women’s soccer, men’s & women’s basketball, men’s ice hockey, men’s & women’s lacrosse). Brown will no longer accept cash payments and will not issue physical tickets. Fans can purchase tickets online and will be provided a digital ticket through AudienceView.

Recruiting Visits and Sports Clinics

As of June 1, 2021, the NCAA lifted the recruiting “dead period” — a pause on recruiting activities that had been in place since Spring 2020 — and coaches may continue permissible in-person recruiting activities, adhering to all current Rhode Island Department of Health and University policies for travel.

Varsity programs may also welcome prospective student-athletes to campus for both official and unofficial recruiting visits. These visits must be limited in duration, conducted in small groups and can include activities such as athletic facilities tours (inside and outside locations), campus tours (outside locations only), virtually attending a class with a current Brown student, attending and watching a practice, and meeting with the coaching staff. All activities must adhere to current campus safety policies, including face coverings and social distancing.

Athletic programs may also welcome student-athlete recruits to campus for one-day, limited duration clinics. All clinics fully comply with COVID-19 campus safety protocols, and participation is based on University facility capacity limits.

Fitness and Recreation

All community members are strongly encouraged to exercise individually outdoors, on and off-campus. Community members are encouraged to take advantage of getting outside as much as possible.

The Nelson Fitness Center and Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center are open for use by Brown students, faculty and staff who are approved to be on campus and who are enrolled in the University’s COVID-19 testing program. While the fitness loft and pool no longer require reservations, reservations are still required for group fitness classes. Masks are required at all times and patrons must maintain social distancing. Locker rooms remain closed to patrons at this time. More information can be found on brownrec.com.

Decisions on fitness facilities and recreational programs continue to be made in accordance with public health guidelines and recommendations and may shift as the pandemic evolves and health guidance changes. For the most up-to-date information on the status or fitness and recreational programs, consult the policies currently in effect on the Campus Activity Status page.