RPI football parents upset they can’t watch games from stands

Some RPI football parents are speaking out over the college’s strict attendance policy at sporting events.
Because of COVID, the school is not allowing outside spectators inside the football stadium.

Students, staff and faculty who comply with RPI’s COVID policy are the only people allowed inside the stadium for the games. Some parents watch the games on a hill outside the stadium. The parents we spoke to say they would be willing to wear a mask and show their vaccination card.

A couple parents are also upset because they say they have sent emails to school officials and haven’t gotten any responses.

"Every other school in the country is allowing spectators, big, small, gigantic, stadiums with a 100,00 people shoulder to shoulder. And, we have a big beautiful stadium here, new facility. They could assign seats," said Annie Cohen, an RPI football parent.

Brenda Spellman is from Tennessee. She travels to New York to watch her son play. She says she pays too much money to be disrespected. She says the school isn’t even allowing the parents to come inside the buildings to use the restrooms.

"To not even provide a restroom to make parents go to the bathroom in the woods. That’s the final straw," said Spellman.

RPI sent us a statement saying: "Our current COVID-19 protocols have been established in the best interest of the health and safety of the campus community and the community at large. This is our highest priority."