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Penn State is not sure yet how many fans will be able to enter Beaver Stadium for an expected punctual start to the college football season this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With that said, if you’re not a season ticket holder, don’t expect to be out in the crowd.
The school’s vice president for intercollegiate athletics, Sandy Barbour, said Wednesday that the school is still working with the office of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and other governmental and non-governmental entities to determine how much of the 107,000-seat stadium can be filled. in the game. day. Things like social distancing need to be taken into account, and also state rules on the size of the largest gatherings.
With more than 3,000 new season ticket sales plus a 94-95 percent renewal rate on return sales that Statecollege.com estimated in 2019 to be around 43,000, the school believes it will likely reach or exceed the capacity that is expected. allows you to have with that group.
Of course, if more people are allowed in, there may be a single game ticket sale.
Also, it was not immediately clear if the season student tickets would be sold in 2020.
“One of the things I can say for sure, and obviously there isn’t much I can say for sure, but without a season ticket, no matter what our ability is, you probably won’t be coming to a Penn State game this year.” Barbour said Wednesday.
- Plus: Penn State evaluated 102 student athletes who returned to campus for the coronavirus, with no positive results.
“I appreciate our fans and their fanaticism for Penn State soccer, and we look forward to rewarding them with a safe and healthy opportunity to come watch Penn State soccer this year.”
Barbour also said, unsurprisingly, that he doesn’t imagine a full stadium this fall, saying:
“The different scenarios we are looking at would be trying to accommodate as many season ticket holders as possible.”
However, there is no timeline for making a capacity decision.
All Pa. Counties will be in the green phase of Wolf’s reopening plan starting Friday, which limits large-group meetings to just 250 people. The governor and his administration have yet to say what comes after the green phase, and it’s worth noting that, while smaller dirt tracks have operated with fans, NASCAR’s Pocono Raceway dual track was run without fans. last weekend.
Later in the call with reporters, Barbour was asked how rebates could work for anyone who makes a seasonal subscription deposit but cannot enter a game or any other. The answer is: it is too early to say.
“That is what we are seeing now,” Barbour said. “We are seeing what we think our capacity could be, speaking to the state; Obviously, conditions can change. They can improve, they can get worse, so we must have a series of scenarios.
“We certainly want, in whatever we do, we want to be able to reward our passionate and very loyal season ticket holders for their investment in Penn State Athletics and Penn State soccer, so we will ultimately have to rely on of all the different levers that move and what is the situation that we implement to honor those who have invested in us. “
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