Ohio State limiting capacity to 20k

[BamaNation]

"Ohio State will limit home crowds to about 20,000 and prohibit tailgating if the football season is played this fall.

Fans inside Ohio Stadium will be required to wear masks and observe social distancing to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. Concessions will be limited."

Ohio State to cap at 20K fans, ban tailgating

Ohio State will have a limit of 20,000 fans at football games and ban tailgating.

www.espn.com

... So they're saying there's a chance?

 

[B1GTide]

Thanks - they are still trying to work out seating for those allowed to attend each game. Groups will be allowed to sit together, but managing that while also trying to enforce social distancing in the stands will require a lot of trust in the fans themselves.

 

[81usaf92]

I have serious doubts after the Marlins incident. I think this is another last ditch effort to lessen the concerns growing amongst fans.

 

[crimsonaudio]

That sounds like an awesome environment.

 

[BamaNation]

I think to do this with even a remote chance of success, you have to have max 2 seats beside each other then 8 that are closed off and literally locked off. Every other row with many seats in between. I came up with the following which depicts 204 seats with 28 occupied (~13.7%). Every other row is empty. I'm sure there's a better way to do this but this is me thinking out loud assuming each seat is 20" wide and every red seat occupied with some semblance of social distancing. Realistically, each row should be staggered so it's not behind another seating group. I can't get to 20% in any configuration that I think would adhere to 6' distancing.

 

[Elefantman]

That sounds like an awesome environment.

It is, just ask any UAB fan.

 

[GrayTide]

I was talking with a friend about this same thing yesterday. We figured somewhere in the 10K-15K in BDS. Of course the first question was how do you decide who gets the seats? I just do not think this will work, but I have been wrong before, can't remember exactly when though.

 

[2003TIDE]

I have serious doubts after the Marlins incident. I think this is another last ditch effort to lessen the concerns growing amongst fans.

Yeah incremental steps that are just lessening the impact of cancelling the season. They just told 80% of the fans that go to games it isn't happening.

 

[B1GTide]

I think to do this with even a remote chance of success, you have to have max 2 seats beside each other then 8 that are closed off and literally locked off. Every other row with many seats in between. I came up with the following which depicts 204 seats with 28 occupied (~13.7%). Every other row is empty. I'm sure there's a better way to do this but this is me thinking out loud assuming each seat is 20" wide and every red seat occupied with some semblance of social distancing. Realistically, each row should be staggered so it's not behind another seating group. I can't get to 20% in any configuration that I think would adhere to 6' distancing.

View attachment 9719

I think if there are groups of fans instead of individual fans - say groups of 4 or more - then you can get to ~20%. But you are right - you don't get there with individuals or groups of 2.

 

[81usaf92]

Yeah incremental steps that are just lessening the impact of cancelling the season. They just told 80% of the fans that go to games it isn't happening.

I was talking with a friend about this same thing yesterday. We figured somewhere in the 10K-15K in BDS. Of course the first question was how do you decide who gets the seats? I just do not think this will work, but I have been wrong before, can't remember exactly when though.

I think the minimum amount of fans to make money and have and have an effect is probably around 50 to 60k. Anything below that and you might as well go with no fans.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I think the minimum amount of fans to make money and have and have an effect is probably around 50 to 60k. Anything below that and you might as well go with no fans.

Yep, I would think they would have to be able to put enough fans in the stadium to cover the cost of opening the stadium to fans. If you can't enough fans in the stadium to cover that cost then it's not worth it. You're losing money.

 

[81usaf92]

Yep, I would think they would have to be able to put enough fans in the stadium to cover the cost of opening the stadium to fans. If you can't enough fans in the stadium to cover that cost then it's not worth it. You're losing money.

That and the fact that the only reason that we are still discussing fans at college football games is the money they bring into universities and the college towns. If neither are going to get enough money to even break even then what is the point of having fans when nooone else is?

 

[Tideflyer]

Personally, I think everyone is trying mightily to find a way to have a college football season that`s at least semi-credible. There`s just such a tremendous economic impact on so many if there`s no season at all.

 

[NationalTitles18]

If everyone does their part then there's still a small chance we see football at some point this fall, but it is a long shot now since we are so far behind the curve. Maybe we get it in time for basketball or a late season or spring football. Is everyone doing their part? If not, it's never too late to begin to contribute to the effort to save sports and lives.

 

[TideMan09]

Personally, I think everyone is trying mightily to find a way to have a college football season that`s at least semi-credible. There`s just such a tremendous economic impact on so many if there`s no season at all.

Yup..Many other sports depends on college football to fund them at smaller schools as well..

 

[Tide&True]

Drones will supply concessions that are ordered through an app on your phone. The drones will also be used at halftime in place of the marching band...there will be hell to pay if they don’t get the “O” right!

 

[Tide&True]

I was talking with a friend about this same thing yesterday. We figured somewhere in the 10K-15K in BDS. Of course the first question was how do you decide who gets the seats? I just do not think this will work, but I have been wrong before, can't remember exactly when though.

Everyone who has tickets can come...they just may not see the same quarter

 

[Padreruf]

Fans in the stands are a luxury...playing for a tv audience is where the bucks are this season...

 

[Tideflyer]

Fans in the stands are a luxury...playing for a tv audience is where the bucks are this season...

Agree. If we have a season it`ll be a TV season. I don`t know what smaller college towns like Starkville and Oxford are going to do economically. It`s sad to think about.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I will be interested to see how tOSU will allocate the in-stadium experience.

There really isn’t a good solution. I’m sure tOSU has a donor program similar to Tide Pride. If you allocate by points, which are driven by monetary donations, you’re going to hear, “You allow only rich people! You don’t care about the little guy!!”

If you go to a more randomized distribution, you’ll have people far down on the list of donors get tickets, and people who donated many times more denied entry. Think that wouldn’t alienate major sources of current and future donations?

And what do you do about students? Faculty and staff? Athletic Department workers?

IF Alabama goes with limited capacity (I still think there will be no season), my admittedly flawed suggestion is this:
— 20% stadium capacity — roughly 20,000 seats total. Allocated as follows:

— 15% of stadium capacity — roughly 15,000 seats go to the top 15% of Tide Pride club level, allocated by points within each club. Ties at the cutoff point allocated by lottery.
— 2% of stadium capacity — roughly 2,000 seats, go to students, allocated by credit hours accumulated. Ties at the cutoff point broken by lottery.
— 2% of stadium capacity — roughly 2,000 seats, to faculty and staff, including the President’s box. Allocated by years of service to UA, with ties at the cutoff point broken by lottery. Exception: the President’s invitees — estimated less than 100.
— 1% of stadium capacity — roughly 1,000 seats to Athletic Department purposes, including recruiting. Allocated however Greg Byrne and Nick Saban direct.

Since you’d have tickets going to all club levels, you’d have some representation from ”the little guy.” And since clubs‘ seats are already fixed, you’d have some built-in social distancing.

But within each club, it would still be driven by donations, so not that many true ”little guys. You’d also still have some lower-level donors in lower level TP clubs in, while some higher-level donors in high level clubs would be out.

I know it’s flawed. But like I said, there isn’t a good solution.

I‘d love to hear other better ideas. What say you?

Only one request: don’t just throw rocks at the above....I acknowledge it’s not perfect. Offer a better solution.