SAN ANTONIO – Many 5A and 6A schools will see their football teams return to the field this weekend and fans will be allowed to attend. School district officials continue to keep in contact with Metro Health on the situation in San Antonio. If you feel ill or have any flu-like symptoms, districts ask that you stay home. If you are feeling fine and plan on going to a game, here are five things you need to be aware of:
1. Purchase your tickets online.
Many school districts have gone to online ticketing as a way to keep track of the number of fans in the stands. Capacity for most stadiums is 50% and some stadiums will not be selling tickets at the gate.
“We will not sell any tickets whatsoever at the stadiums,” Northside ISD Assistant Athletic Director Darryl Hemphill said. “You have to get all your tickets online and have them on your phone or print them out and we’ll scan them at the gate.”
2. Extra gates will be open for fans arriving and leaving the game.
The districts are hoping to eliminate crowding at entrances, helping people stay safe.
“We’re opening up extra gates so we have extra entry points so our lines will get long so we keep people moving along,” NEISD Executive Athletic Director Kelly Parker said. “We’ve cut down on the number of our booster club sales out front so that we don’t have a congestion at the entry. There will be no tables out there.”
3. Fans can sit together in every other row.
Capacity at all stadiums is 50% and fans will be allowed to sit together in groups as long as they go to the game together.
"We’re asking groups, obviously, to sit six feet apart, Parker said. “We have dots on our bleachers that kind of gives people an idea of what six feet is. Every other row you cannot sit on. What we’ve done is put red X’s on the ends to let people know they can. Plus, we’ll have people there to just remind me of every other seat.”
4. Concession stands will be open.
Fans will be able to enjoy some of the staples of high school football games: nachos, popcorn, soft drinks.
“We’re doing bottles. We’re not going to have the cups and the ice,” Hemphill said. “We had ironically, we had made that change before COVID ever hit. We decided we’re going to go bottles instead of cups and ice. But that’s kind of worked out well for us.”
5. Face coverings are required.
It has become the norm for everyone, wearing a face covering. Fans will be required to wear them in the stands. Staff at the stadiums will be wearing them. Students taking part in the traditions of the game will also be wearing them. And there will be reminders.
“People will be hearing announcements coming over like during timeouts and change of possession and things like that,” Parker said. “Our announcers are going to be constantly making announcements to remind them you’ll keep your mask on unless you’re eating or drinking, maintain your spacing and things like that.”
Fans will be allowed to take off masks to eat or drink, but will be required to put them back on. If you refuse to wear a mask, you will be asked to leave and escorted out of the stadium by school district police.
To keep up with the latest on high school football, check out Big Game Coverage.