Back to normal: COVID-19 restrictions are mostly gone from Oklahoma sporting events

Oklahoma City was ground zero for COVID-19 and sports when, on March 11, 2020, it was announced before the Thunder's home basketball game against the Jazz that Utah center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

The game was postponed, and the fans that night were sent home without seeing a second of the game. It would be a long time before Thunder fans in Oklahoma would watch a game in person again.

Fifteen days later, the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association canceled the state high school basketball tournaments and the rest of spring sports for the year.

The NCAA canceled the rest of its spring sports schedule in 2020 because of COVID-19, including the Women's College World Series held in Oklahoma City.

The 2019-20 season was finished inside of a Walt Disney World bubble. The Thunder played the entire 2020-21 season without fans at home games due to pandemic, the only team in the NBA to do so.

Colleges returned to play in the fall but with limited capacity in football stadiums. Face masks and social distancing were required of fans attending.

Many collegiate football and basketball games had to be canceled or rescheduled during the 2020-2021 seasons due to COVID-19 outbreaks on athletic squads.

The Thunder opened Paycom Center at full capacity for the 2021-2022 season, but there were safety precautions in place for the preseason and first 10 regular-season home games.

But now things are pretty much back to normal for Thunder games and all sporting events in Oklahoma, both collegiate and high school. Cases of COVID-19 are decreasing, and restrictions are no longer in place.

Staffs working at sporting events may still be wearing face masks. Fans attending are encouraged to wear them, but they are not required. Social distancing is recommended but not enforced.

The one protocol that was instituted as a result of COVID-19 that continues on is more readily available hand sanitizers at most athletic venues.

But that could change quickly and restrictions could be required once again if a new variant of COVID-19 were to emerge.

Reporter Ed Godfrey looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at egodfrey@oklahoman.com or on Twitter @EdGodfrey. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: COVID-19 restrictions are mostly gone from Oklahoma sporting events