SEC Announces Guidelines for Fan Attendance at Football Games

Several Questions regarding how the SEC will handle fans at the games have been answered in the latest press release from the conference.

Now that the SEC has announced their schedule in its entirety, the next question arises. Are fans allowed to be in attendance, and if so, how many, and what will the experience as a whole be like.  

Here's the release we received from SEC Chairman, Chuck Dunlap Tuesday morning. 

Attendance

• Institutions shall determine the number of guests permitted to attend in accordance with applicable state and local guidelines, policies and/or regulations. In the absence of state and/or local guidelines, policies and/or regulations, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations on physical distancing should be applied.

*Worth noting, UGA has not announced the exact percentage of fans that will be allowed inside the stadium, if any. Expectations are that they could follow suit with several other programs and allow a minimum of 25% of stadium capacity and adhere to social distancing requirements. 

Face Coverings

• Face coverings (over the nose and mouth) shall be required as a condition of all guest ingress, egress, and movement throughout the stadium, as well as any time guests are unable to maintain the recommended physical distance from others who are not in their same household.
• Stadium workers and athletics staff should wear face coverings at all times.

Food, Beverage and Merchandise

• Barriers (e.g., plexiglass) shall be installed at all points-of-sale or otherwise all concessions staff shall wear a face shield plus a mask.
• Queuing lines at points-of-sale shall permit physical distancing between guests.
• "Grab and go" food/beverage options should be considered at points-of-sale locations.
• Beverages shall be provided directly to guests. Machines designed to allow guests to fill or refill beverages must remain inoperable.
• Condiments shall be offered only as single-serve condiments, and condiment carts shall be prohibited.
• All portable points-of-sale locations shall be strategically placed to ensure physical distancing is permitted between guests who are in line or may be in close proximity to the selling location for other purposes.

Gate Ingress/Egress

• Signage shall be installed at parking lots, pedestrian paths to the stadium, gates and/or other ingress/entry points that outlines mandates for all guests to wear face coverings, maintain physical distancing and mandates guests do not enter the stadium if they display any COVID-19 symptoms as outlined by the CDC.
• All tickets shall be digitally scanned.
• The footprint at all gates and ingress/entry and egress/exit points shall permit physical distancing between guests.

Guest Shuttles

• Institutions that cooperate with and/or arrange for shuttles to transport guests to/from the stadium shall ensure the shuttle operator has sufficient protocols/procedures in place including, but not limited to, the following:

• Maintaining physical distancing while guests are on the shuttle, entering/exiting the shuttle and while waiting in lines to board the shuttle;

• Requiring face coverings as a condition for shuttle usage for drivers and guests at all times while aboard the shuttle, entering/exiting and while waiting in line; and

• Planning to sufficiently and regularly disinfect the shuttle.

Plans for Disinfection, Symptomatic Guests, Communication/Public Relations and American with Disabilities Act

• Institutions shall have a documented plan that outlines the procedures/protocol for appropriate disinfection of the stadium.
• Institutions shall have a documented plan that outlines the procedures/protocol for working with guests who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms.
• Institutions shall launch a communication/public relations campaign for communicating all COVID-19 procedures/protocol to prospective guests.
• Institutions shall ensure they comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the development and implementation of all procedures/protocols.

Premium Seating / Suites and Clubs

• "Suite hopping" shall be prohibited.
• Sufficient signage that promotes and instructs suite holders to wear face coverings and maintain physical distancing shall be installed near ingress/entry points.
• Furniture shall be arranged in clubs to promote physical distancing.
• Each suite and club shall be supplied with sufficient hand washing and/or hand sanitizing stations.
• Guests shall be permitted to access ???field level??? suites or clubs that are not within six feet (6???) of any team area. Additionally, institutions must ensure guests do not access a pathway to enter or exit a ???field level??? suite or club at the same time a student-athlete, coach, team staff member, game official or other game participant is utilizing the same pathway.