Seniority, generosity may decide who enters college football games

Athletic administrators at schools with high ticket demand for college football are making plans to determine who gets a seat if stadium capacities are reduced because of concerns about the coronavirus.

This is a particularly painful task for athletic director Bill Moos of Nebraska, which has sold out every home football game since 1962. The Cornhuskers are a year-round passion in his state and the season ticket renewal rate for the 2020 season is a robust 93%.

So which fans will gain entry to 85,000-seat Memorial Stadium if capacity is reduced by half or even 75%? Moos and his staff are weighing a number of variables, including whether all or some of the seven scheduled home games are played. How much money the season-ticket holder donates annually and how long he or she has owned the season tickets are also factors to determine priority. Moos is quick to point out that doesn't mean people down the list would get shut out.

“If they haven't been with us for 40 years and given us a generous amount of money, they're still fans and there should be a place for them as well,” he said.

Moos said it's possible some Husker fans would be allowed to attend five games, some four, some three and others two.

The ticketing dilemma is just one wrinkle schools are working through as football pushes toward some kind of season. The complications of bringing students back and ensuring they are safe vary from state to state and from campus to campus. But most schools are planning for games — and putting fans in the seats if they can.

At Alabama, the ticket renewal rate was 90% for 102,000-seat Bryant-Denny Stadium. Spokeswoman Jessica Pare didn't disclose how Alabama would determine which fans can attend other than to say different models are being looked at and "our hope is not to have to use those models.”

At Ohio State, where the renewal rate was 88%, athletic director Gene Smith has said he could envision games played with no more than 40,000 to 50,000 in 102,000-seat Ohio Stadium. Consideration would be given to parents and guests of players, students and faculty.