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How realistic is the idea of playing a game to a 1/4 capacity stadium?

Posted on 5/25/20 at 11:55 am
Posted by BamaGradinTn
Murfreesboro
Member since Dec 2008
26999 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 11:55 am
I continue to see articles like this one and talking heads go on about the idea of limiting stadium attendance to 1/4 capacity, and it makes me seriously question whether some of these people have even attended a college football game. To me it seems like an entirely unworkable solution. The Ohio State AD says they can use their point system to allocate tickets...but does he seriously think that, and "implementing social distancing", is all there is to it?

Just from a manpower standpoint, crowd enforcement is next to impossible. Let's take Georgia-Alabama @ BDS. 25,000 fans. Instead of a normal 5,000 visitor allotment, Georgia gets 1,250. There will likely be thousands more who show up on campus.

Start with the students. Does anyone in their right mind think that the students are going to stay six feet apart from each other? Guys and their dates? Drunk frat guys? Then take all the rednecks sitting in the upper reaches of the NN and SS enzone sections...they're just going to stay there when there are hundreds and hundreds of empty seats between the 30 yard lines? I doubt that Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, etc., have the manpower to deploy in the stadium to keep people seated where they are supposed to.

Then, how about the bands? I was never in the band, but having 350 band members seated 6 feet apart doesn't seem workable.

What about pre-game? Does Alabama have enough manpower to stop this from happening? What about the Vol Walk and Tiger Walk, etc? How do you stop a crowd of thousands from massing together? Then throw in tailgating. Entering and leaving the stadium. Etc., etc., etc.

It seems to me that limiting crowd size is just a knee jerk reaction and hasn't seriously been thought out to any great degree. I think ultimately what should and will happen is that, if Georgia comes to Tuscaloosa on September 19, Alabama will sell 102,000 tickets, and people will simply be told to stay home if they feel it isn't safe. People will simply have to be responsible for their own decisons. It will become an assumed risk that goes with buying a ticket, which will include a disclaimer, similar to those on an MLB ticket covering injury from a foul ball.

Most of my experience has obviously been at BDS, but I've been to almost every other stadium in the conference. You can limit ticket sales, but I don't see how you can limit the number of people who show up on campus or how you enforce crowd behavior inside. I'd be interested to see what others think about how workable this idea is on your campus.
Posted by lewis and herschel
Member since Nov 2009
11363 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 11:56 am to
No go. Too many problems
Posted by AHM21
Member since Feb 2008
24684 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 11:57 am to
I agree.

Play in empty stadiums.
Posted by tylerdurden24
Member since Sep 2009
46722 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 11:57 am to
There would be no bands, no students, and no visitor allotments.

Tickets would go to highest paying donors on down with understanding that nobody will be able to sit in their normal seat per distancing requirements. It’s that or they try to split up games so that all season ticket holders get to go to at least a couple of games.
This post was edited on 5/25/20 at 11:58 am
Posted by craigbiggio
Member since Dec 2009
31805 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 12:03 pm to
Texas am did this for years
Posted by Mithridates6
Member since Oct 2019
8220 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 12:15 pm to
No way to enforce pre- and post-game scenes
Posted by lastfan
Houston
Member since Nov 2015
7732 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 12:22 pm to
The whole thing sounds like one giant clusterfk.
Posted by walley tux
DFW
Member since May 2020
794 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 12:23 pm to
by september we'll be looking back on these types of articles and laughing and the dems will be trying to shift the narrative to trump over reacted.

we'll play football with fans this fall.
Posted by genuineLSUtiger
Nashville
Member since Sep 2005
73187 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 12:26 pm to
Time to just shut it down for 2020 and look to next year
Posted by SoFla Tideroller
South Florida
Member since Apr 2010
30526 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 1:19 pm to
What is the point of reduced capacity? So everyone is sitting 6' apart. What about when they go to the restrooms/concession stands? Going through the gate before the game? Tailgating?

It's one of those "but we've done something!" measures that make no sense. Just open up completely. It's more and more blatantly obvious this is just the flu.
Posted by TeLeFaWx
Dallas, TX
Member since Aug 2011
29198 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 2:21 pm to
If you look at that Champions League game in Italy that was thought to be a huge outbreak, it makes sense to just limit that potential.

Whether it actually does anything, who knows, it might just be safety theater. I still see the desire to limit it.
Posted by chateaublanc
Member since Apr 2020
1118 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 2:40 pm to
Just play with a full stadium. If you are scared stay home. The virus doesnt even effectively spread outdoors
Posted by 3rddownonthe8
Atlanta, GA
Member since Aug 2011
5215 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 5:03 pm to
well i think there should be some type of warning to use best judgement... but why should students and band worry about it all under 23.. its the older alumni that should stay home..
Posted by Big EZ Tiger
Member since Jul 2010
24322 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 5:41 pm to
At LSU we've been preparing for a pandemic like this for years by playing to an empty stadium in the 2nd half. The Tigers will be prepared if this happens. And you all used to like to make fun of us.
This post was edited on 5/25/20 at 5:42 pm
Posted by PeeJayScammedGT
Kennesaw, GA
Member since Oct 2019
2148 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 6:03 pm to
quote:

Just from a manpower standpoint, crowd enforcement is next to impossible. Let's take Georgia-Alabama @ BDS. 25,000 fans. Instead of a normal 5,000 visitor allotment, Georgia gets 1,250. There will likely be thousands more who show up on campus

Start with the students. Does anyone in their right mind think that the students are going to stay six feet apart from each other? Guys and their dates? Drunk frat guys? Then take all the rednecks sitting in the upper reaches of the NN and SS enzone sections...they're just going to stay there when there are hundreds and hundreds of empty seats between the 30 yard lines? I doubt that Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, etc., have the manpower to deploy in the stadium to keep people seated where they are supposed to.


Real simple

Azzholes that don't comply with the new Stadium rules on spacing get their azzes booted and put on a list where they won't be allowed to return as long as we have these spacing rules
Posted by BoomNation
wetumpka. alabama
Member since Feb 2015
2099 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 6:22 pm to
there will most likely be fans in stands but attendance will be reduced im buying tickets to auburn/alcorn state next month
Posted by PokeyTiger
New Iberia
Member since Apr 2020
1968 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 6:40 pm to
That eliminates ALL BAMA WOMEN as their butts take up 1-1/4 seats and would screw the pooch on realistic six foot spacing
Posted by FishFearMe
United States
Member since Jul 2015
7196 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 6:51 pm to
ain't happening in college station
Posted by HamzooReb
Utah
Member since Mar 2013
12150 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 7:21 pm to
Just fill the stadiums up to normal capacity. CDC has came out with a new estimated death rate of 0.26% while the common flu is around 0.1%. There is no reason for this shutdown madness to continue.
Posted by JohnnyU
Florida
Member since Nov 2006
12350 posts
Posted on 5/25/20 at 7:44 pm to
I agree. It's impractical to create physical barriers in the stadium to maintain social distancing. The same with restricting access to campus.
Who really wants to be near someone yelling at the top of their lung, expelling aerosolized fluids?
If the season is played, it will be played in empty stadiums.
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