For more than 20 years, the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness has served as the front door of the University of Denver in numerous ways by offering sports, events, fitness, and wellness opportunities for our cherished Denver and campus communities.

In anticipation of reopening the Coors Fitness Center for fall quarter 2020, leadership with Denver Athletics & Recreation has announced changes to the way the fitness center will operate as a result of COVID-19. To ensure a safe and healthy environment, the updated capacity limit set by the Public Health Order 20-28 to date is 50 people who are physically distanced. With a campus community of more than 10,000 students and 3,000 faculty and staff, the Coors Fitness Center will only be open to DU students, faculty and staff who have completed our return to campus protocols to minimize exposure, safeguard our community and support campus-wide contact tracing efforts.

As the start of the University of Denver fall quarter approaches, the Division of Athletics & Recreation joins proactive and vigorous campus-wide efforts to create a community of care through our fall return to campus framework. The official re-opening date of the Coors Fitness Center is set for September 3, which will see some major updates regarding how the facility will operate and who the fitness center will serve:

• Upon reopening, the Coors Fitness Center will strictly serve DU students, faculty and staff who have completed all trail back to campus protocols.
• Public and alumni members of the Coors Fitness Center and El Pomar Natatorium should have received communication from the Division of Athletics and Recreation regarding refunds, locker item pick-up and other details.
• Plus one and family memberships for DU students, faculty and staff will not be available.
• The updated capacity limit in the Coors Fitness Center is 50 people. Reservations will not be required to workout; however, if we reach capacity, a socially-distanced line will form outside of the south entrance of the Ritchie Center, and we will let people in on a one-in, one-out basis.
• Group fitness classes will not immediately be available upon reopening. We are in the process of developing socially-distant and safe fitness programs for DU students, faculty and staff.
• Squash and racquetball will be temporarily unavailable upon re-opening.

The path to reopening the Coors Fitness Center is paved by guidance from University and industry experts with procedures that align with federal, state, local and our institutional leadership. The Division of Athletics and Recreation is incorporating a three-phase approach to the reopening of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness, which focuses on opening each venue within the facility for designated use; return to participation levels according to health and safety guidance; and game/competition/travel protocols using evidence-informed planning efforts to prevent, manage and mitigate community spread infections in the student, staff and community populations.

Joy Burns Ice Arena, El Pomar Natatorium, the gymnastics training facility and DU Youth Programs at the Ritchie Center have seen success during July and August in operating safely and sustainably under current protocols.

We look forward to reopening the Coors Fitness Center for DU students, faculty and staff at the University of Denver.