Mick Cronin sounds off on UCLA’s ludicrous COVID policies

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin sounded off on Tuesday about his school’s ludicrous COVID policies with an indirect jab.

UCLA is among three schools in the Pac-12 that have self-imposed harsh restrictions regarding fan attendance at athletic events. The Bruins, along with USC and Stanford, are currently limiting fan attendance at sporting events to limited family members.

Cronin has been the coach of UCLA’s men’s basketball team since 2019. He wants to know why the Los Angeles Rams could have 80,000 fans in attendance for their playoff game on Monday night, while UCLA is not allowing fans. Both teams play in the city and their game venues are located 13 miles apart.

Mick Cronin on going to play at Utah on Thursday: "I think what will help us is to run out of a tunnel and play in front of fans. I think it’s hugely demoralizing to our guys to play games in empty arenas when there’s 80,000 people at the Rams game yesterday."

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) January 18, 2022

Cronin made his point as artfully as possible, saying it’s demoralizing to the players not to have fans.

The truth is the school’s policy makes no sense. What justification is there for UCLA and USC to exclude fans when the very city in which they play is allowing sporting events of 80,000 fans? Obviously the city isn’t concerned about one sporting event being a “superspreader” and straining the healthcare system. So what explanation do USC and UCLA have for their self-imposed restrictions?

Of course, UCLA is the same school that thought it would be fine to cancel on a bowl game just hours before kickoff. None of their policies or reasoning makes sense.

Maybe Cronin raising the point will get the school to reconsider.

Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports