One of the largest events held since the start of the pandemic will be Tuesday night’s Alamo Bowl.
Some have criticized the game as a potential super-spreader event, but San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said precautions are in place to protect fans during the match between the No. 20 Texas Longhorns and unranked Colorado Buffaloes.
The mayor said the Alamodome has already been used for several large events this year, including home football games by the UTSA Roadrunners.
Only 11,000 of the dome’s 65,000 seats were made available to the public. He said the building is ready.
“All of the concessions are touchless. I think we have proper sanitation stations all throughout the facility [and] temperature checks at the doors,” Nirenberg said.
The mayor said security personnel will remove fans who do not follow COVID-19 protocols.
“We have enforcement of all those measures. People have to wear masks while they’re inside the facility," he said. "If you don’t, you will be removed."
Staff of the city-owned dome were criticized after videos appeared on social media showing fans at a recent boxing match mingling at ring side and some not wearing masks.
Texas returns to San Antonio for the second year in a row. The Longhorns are led by Head Coach Tom Herman, who is in his fourth season, as they look to defend their title as Alamo Bowl Champions.
Herman has never lost a bowl game.
The Longhorns are led by fourth-year quarterback and 2019 Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP Sam Ehlinger, who has produced 2,788 yards of total offense and 33 total touchdowns this season.
His 202 points are the third most in the country.
This will be Texas’ 57th bowl game appearance, second only to Alabama (72) in NCAA history. The Longhorns are 30-24-2 all-time in bowl games, tied for the nation’s fourth-most bowl victories.
The Colorado Buffaloes have been designated the home team and will occupy the west sideline. They return to the bowl game for the first time since 2016. The Buffaloes are led by Pac-12 Coach of the Year Karl Dorrell.
Colorado's quarterback is senior Sam Noyer, who played safety in four games for the team last year. He has six passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in only five games this season.
The Longhorns will be playing in their fifth Alamo Bowl. Last year they defeated No. 11 ranked Utah, 38-10. The Buffaloes are making their third appearance in the Valero Alamo Bowl, playing previously in 2016 and 2002.
This is the 19th meeting between the two teams. The first was in 1940, and the last was in 2009 when the Buffaloes still played in the Big 12. Texas leads the all-time series 11-7.
The bowl game in recent years has showcased the No. 1 team in the Pac-12 against the No. 1 team of the Big 12 after the college football playoff selections.
The game will air at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
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