GUESSING GAME
Lots of planning, but no predictions was OU athletic director Joe Castiglione's message to football fans about what the 2020 season might look like in terms of stadium capacities
No predictions. Lots of planning, but no predictions.
That was OU athletic director Joe Castiglione's message to football fans anxious to know what the 2020 season might look like in terms of stadium capacities.
“The decisions haven' t been made,” Castiglione said Wednesday on a Zoom call with reporters. “All we can do is focus on the preparation. When I say we're optimistic and hopeful that we would have a stadium near or full capacity, that's not me predicting that's going to happen. When I say we might be at 50% capacity, that's not me predicting that's going to happen. When beat smaller it capac- could any ity, there's no prediction in anything I' m saying. “All I' m
saying is we're working diligently to prepare to adjust to anything that we can allow.”
A variety of optimistic reports has surfaced in recent weeks that raise hopes of college football returning to some degree of normalcy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. But Castiglione says OU is not ready to make any decisions.
“We' re trying to accommodate those that want to come,” Castiglione said. “And we're planning on that as one option. But we're also working through what other types of options that would i nclude social distancing.
“When you think of that, you're talking about a sig - nificant reduction in seating c a p a c i t y o r p e o p l e i n t h e s t a di um a nd t he f i nanci a l impact related to how many you're actually able to let in the stadium. For us, it hasn't been determined exactly yet. But we would be operating at somewhere less than 50%.”
Castiglione said the capacity number will be dependent upon how tickets are grouped. Groups could i nclude t wo, four, six or even eight seasonticket holders.
Castiglione said his staff has been engaged with national experts on grouping people while maintain social distancing. He said OU is working on a concept that would allow fans to maintain social distancing “from driveway to driveway … the least amount of contact with people or things.”
Those concepts include digital ticket, which OU already has announced, and electronic ordering of concession items, probably f or pre- packaged items in express lanes.
Castiglione said his staff will make any major decisions in conjunction with Gov. Kevin Sti t t , Norman mayor Brea Clark, local and state health a ut hori t i e s , t he OU board of regents and president Joe Harroz.
Castiglione said he would like to see a reasonable timel i ne determined, “so we all know when a decision could be made. We don't have that yet, either. People have used ranges of times. We know we don't need to make that decision today, but we can't be making that decision Aug. 28. We need time to implement whatever approach we would take and, obviously, be able to inform those that will have the access to come to the games.”
C as tig li one was asked explicitly about the Sept. 26 game at Army.
“There really isn' t any change in the game itself, the date, the expectation,” Castiglione said. “... We're still again very hopeful and optimistic that the season can get started on time and we can play a 12-game schedule and accommodate as many fans as they feel comfortable being there. We don't have any more information at this point in time.”