One of the largest events held since the start of the pandemic will be Tuesday night’s Alamo Bowl.
Some have criticized the event as a potential super spreader event, but Mayor Ron Nirenberg said precautions are in place for the game between number 20-Texas and unranked Colorado to protect fans.
The mayor said the Alamodome has already been used for several large events this year, including several 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 not following COVID-19 protocols.
“We have enforcement of all those measures. People have to wear masks while they’re inside the facility. If you don’t, you will be removed.”
The city-owned dome staff was criticized after videos appeared on social media showing fans at a recent boxing match mingling close together 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.
Designated the home team and occupying the west sideline, the Colorado Buffaloes 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 is quarterbacked by 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. Their most recent appearance was in last year’s game where they defeated number 11 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 these 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 number one team in the Pac-12 against the number one team team of the Big 12 after the CFP selections.
The game will air at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
