University of Maryland staff and faculty members who receive a first or second COVID-19 vaccination dose between May 19 and June 30 will be offered two free tickets for a select home football game in the fall, according to a press release Wednesday.
The program is part of a campuswide effort to encourage vaccinations for all campus community members before the fall semester, according to the release.
“Maryland Athletics is contributing to the efforts by providing extra incentive to get vaccinated,” athletic director Damon Evans said in the release.
In an interview with The Diamondback Wednesday morning, university President Darryll Pines stressed the importance of receiving a vaccine, even as COVID-19 restrictions loosen.
“Restrictions are being released, like exponentially, and maybe too quickly. And we’re worried that people will think it’s completely safe, and they won’t get vaccinated,” Pines said. “So this is the incentive program.”
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To qualify for the free tickets, employees must attest to vaccinations on their daily symptom monitoring survey between May 19 and June 30 and authorize this university to verify results via the state’s vaccine database, according to the release. After June 30, all eligible employees will receive an email from the athletic department detailing how to redeem the free tickets.
Maryland athletics will be operating its sporting events at 100 percent capacity in the fall, following guidelines from Prince George’s County, according to the release.
The Maryland football team will play seven of its 12 games in College Park:
- Sept. 4: West Virginia
- Sept. 11: Howard
- Sept. 25: Kent State
- Oct. 2: Iowa
- Oct. 30: Indiana
- Nov. 6: Penn State
- Nov. 20: Michigan
