Bradley Athletics announced Tuesday afternoon that the Braves’ men’s basketball team will play its home games at Carver Arena, without fans for the start of the 2020-21 season.
It will be the 39th consecutive season that the team will play downtown, while the women’s basketball team and volleyball team will continue to play at Renaissance Coliseum on campus.
All 14 men’s basketball home games will be broadcast, with television stations and streaming services to be determined.
“Due to the ramifications of the ongoing global pandemic, the leadership at Bradley University and the Peoria Civic Center have mutually agreed to renegotiate the terms of our existing contract for the 2020-21 men’s basketball season, allowing Bradley Basketball to continue to make Carver Arena home this season,” Chris Reynolds, Bradley vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics, said in a statement.
Fan attendance has only been ruled out for the beginning of the season. If Illinois’ COVID-19 gathering guidelines are relaxed, fans may be permitted.
Currently, Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines only permit up to 50 people in a gathering. Region 2 resurgence mitigation guidelines, which are in effect in Peoria, state that gatherings are limited to less than 25 guests or 25 percent capacity of an indoor or outdoor venue.