Game day policies and procedures

[aubiefifty 18,231]

247sports.com

ByMark Murphy

8-9 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama–Auburn athletic department officials announced game day policies and procedures for fans attending the season opening football game when the Tigers play host to the Kentucky Wildcats a week from Saturday.

For the first of Auburn’s five home games, attendance is being capped at approximately 20 percent of Jordan-Hare Stadium’s capacity of 87,451. There are expected to be around 500 fans in the club levels and suites along with 1,500 others scattered throughout the stadium, including 500 seats for the visitors. The rest of the available spots are being reserved for Auburn students. If all of those are used the crowd is expected to be 17,000-plus.

Orange chairback seats will be set up in groups of two or four for students. Blue chairback seats will be set up non-students, including families of Auburn players.

Non-student ticket holders and working staff will have their temperature read prior to entering the stadium, officials noted.

Also, there will be no game day shuttles operating to bring fans to the stadium.

Auburn has designated the contest a “wear white game.” For fans attending the Kentucky game, the following are Auburn’s rules for dealing with the covid-19 outbreak:

*Fans must wear face coverings (over the nose and mouth) while in the stadium.

*Stadium workers and athletics staff will wear face coverings at all times.

*Directional signage, stanchions, and barriers will be installed to facilitate six-foot physical distance at entry gates, concourse pathways, concessions and merchandise queues and seating areas.

*Event staff will assist in directing ticket holders through appropriate routes to seating areas, concession stands and restrooms.

*Empty bleacher seats between pre-marked seats will not be available for seating.

*Blocked rows will be marked with tape and not available for seating but will be used as a means of ingress/egress in and out of the section.

*Physical distancing will be maintained throughout the facility to the fullest extent possible, including limiting field access in accordance with SEC and NCAA recommendations.

*Ticket holders will be provided with a recommended entry time and gate to facilitate stadium entry, as identified on the stadium map.

*Student locations are general admission and first-come, first-served, but students are asked to sit in the designated sections listed on their game ticket.  Students will also receive an email communication during the week of the game that identifies their assigned zone.

*Physical distance signage and markings will be placed at all entry gates.

*Walk-through metal detectors will be operational for the 2020 season.

*Students will be required to show a green screen from the GuideSafe app before entering the metal detectors.

*The clear bag policy will remain in effect for the 2020 football season and ticket holders are encouraged to bring as few items as needed into the stadium. Bags must be clear plastic and not exceed 12 inches x 6 x 12. One-gallon clear resealable plastic storage bags and small clutch purses not exceeding 4 1/2 inches x 6 1/2 may be permitted into the stadium.

*Individual hand sanitizer bottles not exceeding 3.4 ounces and disinfecting wipes will be permitted into the stadium.

*Non-prohibited item check stations on the exterior of Jordan-Hare Stadium have been eliminated for the 2020 season. All prohibited items will have to be disposed of or returned to vehicles before entry into Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The game against Kentucky is part of a revised schedule of SEC only games. The Tigers will play five road games and five at home with the regular season finale set for Dec. 5th at Jordan-Hare Stadium vs. Texas A&M. Associate Athletic Director Tim Jackson announced earlier that the plan was to evaluate ticket procedures on an individual basis for each of the home games and that policies are subject to change.

Additional game day procedures announced by AU include:

•Per SEC policy, bands, cheerleaders/spirit squads and mascots (both live and costumed) are restricted from performing and being on the field before games and at halftime.

•To comply with the SEC policy of no live animals on the field, the eagle flight will not occur in Jordan-Hare Stadium on gamedays during the 2020 season.

•The Southeastern Raptor Center's Football, Fans and Feathers will still be held on Fridays at 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. before Auburn home games; limited to the first 50 guests.

•Per SEC policy bands will be restricted from performing on the field before games and at halftime. The policy may be revised during the year based on developments around COVID-19. The Auburn Band will perform from the stands to begin the 2020 season.

•The cheerleaders and Tiger Paws will be located on the front rows of sections 25 and 26.

•In accordance with state and local health guidelines, the following fan experience activities will be placed on hold for the 2020 season: Game Day Auction Experiences,  Friday Football Luncheon, Friday Football Locker Room Tours, Band Gameday Practice - Temporarily Closed to the Public, Fanfest, Home Plate Tailgate, Four-Corners Rally and Spirit March, Tiger Walk, Band March Around and Wellness Kitchen Brunch.

•A limited selection of food items will be available for sale in addition to bottled water and Coca-Cola products. All condiments will be pre-packaged. Floor markings will allow spectators to form a physically distanced queue for concession and merchandise stands, with registers fitted with a plexiglass screen.

Concessions and merchandise staff will wear facial covering at all times. Hand sanitizer will be available for staff and spectators at concessions and merchandise stands. All transactions for concessions and merchandise locations at JHS will be contactless and cashless (credit/debit and Tiger Cards only).

*The hydration nation filtered water stations will not be available. Fans will be able to bring into Jordan-Hare Stadium one factory sealed water bottle per person. 20-ounce bottled water will also continue to be offered for $2 at all stadium concession stands.

•Enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures throughout the stadium prior to and during all games will be in effect for the 2020 season. All cleaning and disinfection products have been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Centers for Disease Control for disinfection of covid-19.

Fan and operational areas will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized prior to game day and there will 180 hand sanitizer stations will be placed in restrooms, elevators and throughout Jordan-Hare Stadium.

All athletics department workspaces will be supplied with hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray and wipes to clean game day workspaces frequently.

The "AU Clean Team" will regularly disinfect all high-touch surfaces in all common areas, including entry gates, restrooms, point-of-sale locations, concessions counters, elevators and handrails, among other high-touch surfaces. AU Clean Team staff will be assigned to each public restroom in the stadium.

Kickoff for the game is set for shortly after 11 a.m. CDT on Sept. 26th. The contest will be televised on the SEC Network.