How and what college football looks like remains a never-ending conversation.
University presidents, athletic departments and administrators continue to talk about bringing fans in the stands after the prevailing thought was that sports would go on without fans in the United States until a vaccine for COVID-19 was found.
Bringing 25 percent capacity of a stadium like Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium would be around 20,000 to 25,000 people. Thousands more typically tailgate outside of Oklahoma’s stadium and not go into games. Fans in attendance and the game day atmosphere has the mayor of Norman, Oklahoma, concerned.
“Having 80,000 people right next to each other is a terrifying concept to me at this time,” Breea Clark said in a recent interview. “And if you didn’t let them in the stadium, what would they do? Tailgate? Then it becomes the city’s problem and that also terrifies me. So if we take away tailgating, what are they going to do, hang out in bars and be in close quarters?”
The Sooners’ home stadium is right in the middle of Oklahoma’s campus. A couple blocks south of the stadium is Campus Corner—a historical district in Norman, Oklahoma, known for its bars and food. Areas south of the stadium up to Campus Corner are filled with fans on game days tailgating ahead of Oklahoma’s football game.
There is still no official announcement on when Oklahoma football players will return to campus to get prepared for the 2020 season. Athletic director Joe Castiglione and head football coach Lincoln Riley have exuded extreme optimism that a season will happen.
How game days will be orchestrated appears to be a potential problem Oklahoma will have to figure out with its city’s mayor.
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