We’ve heard from most different levels when it comes to the amount of fans in the stands for college football games in 2020.
Early on we were going to be lucky to get college football played at all in 2020, something that we’re certainly not out of the woods on yet.
Then it was very limited crowds reserved for perhaps the closest family members only.
Then it was said to include at least students.
Then it was Iowa State unveiling a plan to sell roughly 30,000 season tickets and no single game sales for their 61,000 seat stadium.
Now the state of Iowa has a university that isn’t ruling out playing in front of a full house just yet as University of Iowa Gary Barta met with reporters this week and says they’re planning on opening up Kinnick Stadium this fall.
“We have 100 more days (until Iowa kick off) and by then, my guess is we’re going to learn a lot between now and then,” Barta said. “My staff and I are still planning for several different scenarios and the scenarios we plan for, can change by the day, by the hour, by the week, but as of today, we are still planning to open Kinnick up and have as many fans that want to join us, join us.” – Iowa AD Gary Barta
It sounds great and optimistic but the more Barta spoke the less likely it seemed that Iowa will actually be playing in front of capacity crowds, either.
“We’re having to plan for something less that that,” Barta said. “Whether it’s 75 percent or 50 percent or something less than 100. We haven’t at all let go the possibility of 100 percent. We’re realistic. We’re not expecting to have sellouts for every game by any stretch. But as of right now, that’s still one of the models that we’re planning. It’s all going to be based on health and safety of our student athletes, coaches and our staff that will be working the game or playing the game. We’ll make sure that they’re ready to go from a safety standpoint and then for our fans.” – Barta
So there, the University of Iowa isn’t ruling out playing in front of a capacity crowd at some point this season.
They just don’t exactly sound very optimistic about the possibilities of it, either.
Stay tuned, the only sure thing I know about anything this year is that it will probably only get crazier and more confusing before we get any actual resolution.