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SEC releases league-wide policies for fan attendance in 2020

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Not only is the SEC still planning to play football this fall, there’s still a possibility of allowing fans inside the stadiums.

On Tuesday, a day after the conference released its league-only schedule for the 2020 football season, the SEC released policies that will apply league-wide as it relates to fans attending games. Among those guidelines, facial coverings will be required for anyone hoping to get inside the stadium.

From the SEC’s announcement on 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.

On facial 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.

On tailgating:

  • Institutions shall determine whether tailgating or other large gatherings of guests (e.g., alumni events, university recruiting events, etc.) are permitted on property owned and/or controlled by the institution in accordance with applicable state and local guidelines, policies and/or regulations. In the absence of state and/or local guidelines, CDC recommendations on physical distancing should be applied.
  • Considerations should be given as to the time parking lots open.

You can read more of the SEC’s policies and guidelines here.

The SEC is one of three Power 5 conferences still moving forward with a fall football schedule, along with the ACC and Big 12. Three Group of 5 leagues — AAC, C-USA and Sun Belt — are also still moving forward.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB