According to press release first sent to season ticket holders on Tuesday morning, Ohio State is planning to have a reduced capacity of “no more than 20 percent” of Ohio Stadium in 2020.
With Ohio Stadium expected to be at reduced capacity this season because of the #COVID19pandemic, @OhioStAthletics is offering @OhioStateFB season ticket holders a chance to rethink their options before the first kickoff. https://t.co/3Bhq0yZ5Z1
— Ohio State News (@OhioStateNews) July 28, 2020
“While no final decision has been made regarding the 2020 football season, the Department of Athletics has been working diligently with university leaders, public health experts and government officials to create game day plans that protect the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes, staff, faculty and fans,” the email said.
“In order to provide the safest environment, certain measures will need to be implemented at Ohio Stadium this year, including physical distancing, mandatory masks/facial coverings, limited concessions, no tailgating and no skull session at St. John Arena. These measures will result in a reduced crowd capacity of no more than 20 percent of overall stadium capacity and will impact all ticket holder constituencies in both overall ticket quantity and seat location.”
Ohio State announced in early June that 44,320 season ticket holders renewed their seats this year, but the university will allow any season ticket holders who do not want to attend games this season to opt out without suffering longevity or eligibility penalties.
Since 20 percent of Ohio Stadium’s listed capacity of 104,944 equates to 20,989 people, Tuesday’s email also notes that Ohio State reserves the right to refund orders if necessary. The university’s goal, however, is to “accommodate as many season ticket holders as possible.”
Comparatively, the university sold 21,716 student ticket packages least season. There’s no word if students will be able to purchase tickets this fall, however.
In the event that games are cancelled or fans are prohibited from attending, season ticket holders will have the option to receive a refund, receive a credit toward future ticket purchases or donate the payments to support student-athlete scholarships.
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