On Wednesday, The University of Michigan Athletic Department announced that if a college football season is indeed played this fall, that the capacity of Michigan Stadium will be reduced or that games could be held without fans:

This shouldn’t come as a shock. We all know what the COVID-19 pandemic has changed about the way we live our lives. It is assumed that if football is played that stadiums may not have any fans in it whatsoever.

What does that mean for crowd noise? Will there be artificial crowd noise supplemented in for television viewers? How will an empty stadium look on TV?

These questions can only be answered in due time. But, as for now, it’s safe to assume that stadiums will at least be under limited capacity.

According to the announcement, “A final decision on capacity will be made at a later date in consultation with medical experts, University leadership, the Big Ten Conference, and government officials/agencies.”