Fans, some with masks, back in stadiums
College football fans headed back into stadiums Saturday, some of them for the first time in two years. Along with binoculars, sunscreen and other essentials, some packed face masks and proof of vaccination.
With the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, the pomp and pageantry of fall Saturdays are expected to return in all their glory nearly everywhere across the country.
As far as Nebraska fan Capp Anson of Omaha is concerned, it beats the alternative. Last season, the Big Ten and Pac-12 allowed no fans and ACC, Big 12 and SEC teams limited stadium attendance to a fraction of their vast capacities.
“It’s nice to be able to sit and watch it on a big screen TV at home and have the bathroom by you or go grab a cold beer if you need to, but to me there’s nothing like the experiences at the stadium,” he said. “It brings out a good time for sure.”
Anson’s Cornhuskers were among the handful of teams kicking off their seasons Saturday, losing 30-22 at Illinois in front of 41,064. The announced attendance of 32,982 for UCLA’s 44-10 win over Hawaii was the second-lowest at the Rose Bowl since the Bruins started playing there in 1982.
Schools are eager to fill seats again after the massive financial hits they took in 2020.
Power Five teams bring in an average of $18.6 million
annually from football ticket sales in a typical year, according to research by Patrick Rishe, director of the Business of Sports Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Top teams that play in the biggest stadiums generate more than twice that.
Rishe said he expects the surge in COVID-19 cases tied to the more easily transmissible delta variant to prevent a full return to normal. He noted most college football season ticket holders are over 50, a group more susceptible to becoming seriously ill.
“I don’t expect revenues will return to pre-pandemic levels even in the best of circumstances this year,” Rishe said.
Coaches and players are happy to have fans back, especially in leagues where games were played in empty stadiums a year ago. Colorado coach Karl Dorrell said the home team’s defense feeds off the crowd’s energy.
“So we’re excited about everything being back to normal from that standpoint, having the stands back and having Folsom Field back and rocking,” he said. “I think our players will be inspired on both sides of the ball from that, but it definitely helps the defense, there’s no question.”
Hawaii will not allow fans when it hosts Portland State next week because of a Honolulu ordinance barring large outdoor gatherings. No other school has announced an attendance limit, though specific attendance rules differ across the country.
San Jose State asked fans to show proof of vaccination when they entered the stadium for a game against Southern Utah. Unvaccinated fans, or those who can’t prove they’ve been vaccinated, were let in but were required to wear masks at all times.
LSU, Oregon, Oregon State and Tulane have announced proof-of-vaccination requirements starting with their home openers next month. LSU will allow unvaccinated fans the option of showing proof of a negative COVID-19 test.