State expands attendance at prep football, other events

High school sports fans in California and the Bay Area may, after all, get a chance to support their schools in-person.

New guidelines from the California Department of Public Health take effect Thursday that will permit most Bay Area high schools to host as much as 33% of their stadium’s normal capacity at football games and other outdoor sporting events.

However, that doesn’t mean there will immediately be more fans in the stands this weekend.

The enhanced attendance comes with caveats that are more complicated than flinging open the gates. The Bay Area News Group has yet to find a school that will modify its attendance policy for this upcoming weekend. Additionally, local authorities can always impose stricter orders than the state.

Since the season began this month, only members of the same household of an athlete have been allowed to attend prep sports contests in California, with schools typically settling on a limit of 2-4 attendees per household. Cheerleaders and band members were also initially barred from attending but were eventually permitted after an outcry from parents.

Under the state’s new guidelines, counties in the orange reopening tier — which includes Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda and Marin in the Bay Area — can expand capacity at outdoor venues to 33%, while the other four Bay Area counties in the red tier can expand attendance to 20%.

The rules are similar to those in place for professional teams, which will allow the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s to welcome thousands of fans on Opening Day this week.

Schools will be required to issue tickets in advance and obtain an attestation from the ticket holder that everybody in the group of tickets came from the same household. Seats must be assigned and arranged to ensure maximum possible physical distancing between groups, and no attendees from out of state are allowed. Masks are required at all times.