Bluecross Bowl challenging in a pandemic

We made it.

The TSSAA navigated through a 10game regular season and the entire playoffs to reach the Bluecross Bowl state championships.

Now comes the next part. How will nine state championship games be held with limited seating not only during a COVID-19 pandemic but also at a time when positive cases are rising across the state.

The Tennessee Department of Health announced 7,975 new reported cases on Monday with 48 more deaths. And as of Monday, there were 2,290 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Tennessee.

The rise in cases presents a large challenge for the Tennessee high school athletic association along with the Cookeville-putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Tennessee Tech University as they try to pull off nine championship games over three days starting Thursday.

However, all involved are not only optimistic about a smooth weekend, but the obstacles involved in putting it together seem fairly minimal, comparatively.

"It's a challenge every year," said Molly Brown, executive director of the Cookeville-putnam County Visitors Bureau. "It's such a huge event with 700 volunteer shifts and all hands on deck.

"The (2020) Bluecross Bowl has been a challenge, but it's great to be hosting an event in an open-air atmosphere and do it safer, instead of a highly populated area that has been much more affected by COVID."

While other schools have not allowed non-university events on campus — including MTSU, which did not host any TSSAA state volleyball tournament matches — Tennessee Tech and the city of Cookeville never wavered on hosting the event.

"We all discussed it and decided we would do it safely," said Tennessee Tech athletic director Mark Wilson, who added that fall classes have been in-person all semester. "We have an obligation to the TSSAA and high school athletes in Tennessee."

Added TSSAA assistant executive director Richard Mcwhirter, "We met with Cookeville and Tech all the way back in August, and they've been on board the entire time. We appreciate that."

There are unusual challenges involved in pulling off the Bluecross Bowl, but much of what's involved has already been tested for the past 14 weeks of the season.

TSSAA Bluecross Bowl tickets, attendance

There will be a limit of 6,000 in the stadium during each game (5,500 fans, 500 staff, media, etc.). Instead of being able to purchase tickets for an entire day of games, fans will only be able to purchase individual game tickets. Those tickets will be sold online only prior to the games and scanned upon entry.

Gates will open an hour-and-a-half before each game and the stands will be cleared after every game. However, Mcwhirter doesn't think there will be an issue with crossover.

"As cold as it's going to be, we expect the stands to empty out pretty quickly," Mcwhirter said. "A majority of the crowd comes for that one game anyway.

"If we have a game coming up with 5,000 (tickets pre-sold) and we had 4,000 the game before, we'll have to make announcements and try to get people out of there as quickly as possible. But if we have 1,000 at one game and 1,000 coming the next game, it's no big deal. The thing we're trying to do is meet the one-third capacity limit, not about getting everyone to pay more than once.

"We are watching the sales," Mcwhirter said. "We haven't gotten to a sellout (in any game) yet. If we sell out, we'll let everyone know."

Temperature checks/masks

Anyone entering the stadium will have their temperatures taken. Designated areas will be set up to do that, in order to avoid long lines and congestion.

"That's the biggest obstacle," Wilson said. "It's something new for us. It's going to be so cold, and we know thermometers don't work well in the cold. So we've added tents to check temperatures in a controlled environment."

Mcwhirter said those entering the stadium would be required to wear masks "in areas that they cannot social distance. Example: Coming through the gate, at restrooms, sitting close to people not in your immediate family."

Locker rooms

Locker rooms have always been cleaned between each game, but this year there will be additional COVID-19 cleaning.

"This year we will have specialized equipment we will spray ... a disinfectant that kills COVID, the flu and other things," Wilson said. "We'll wipe things down and be more elaborate this year. We've been doing that (this fall) in Tech's locker rooms. We have a process down."

Volunteers

The TSSAA, Cookeville Visitors' Bureau and Tennessee Tech expect around the same number of volunteers they've had in the past. Some who had jobs that will be defunct in 2020 (such as selling programs, working ticket booths, etc.) are being reallocated to do things such as taking temperatures.

Concessions

Concessions, which will be handled by Tennessee Tech food services, won't change much, with the exception of the East side of the stadium concessions being moved outdoors. Plexiglass will also be used and measures will be made to keep fans socially distanced.

Postgame celebrations

Mcwhirter said the trophy presentation would change. Teams will remain on their sideline after the game, with no hand-shaking between teams. Trophies will be placed on tables at midfield for MVP, coaches and teams (which will be picked up by the team's captain). Media will still be present, albeit distanced, to shoot photographs/video.

SUBMITTED Amber Asberry, marketing and sales director with the Cookeville Visitor's Bureau, places a sign urging COVID-19 safety and caution at Tennessee Tech's Tucker Stadium in preparation for this week's Bluecross Bowl championship games.