AU Plans for Full Capacity in 2021 Season

[toddc 13,194]

Urging fans to vaccinate, Auburn plans for full Jordan-Hare Stadium

23 minutes ago

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Allen Greene probably knew the question would be coming, so he used it as a platform to promote.

“This is probably a great time to give a plug to say: We need to vaccinate,” Auburn’s athletic director said this week before an alumni event in Birmingham. “We don’t make the decision in our department, neither do any of our peers. The decisions are made with our health officials, so the better that our communities do in regard to COVID vaccinations, the more opportunity we have to have everybody together again.”

Of course, Greene is referring to getting 87,451 people together again.

After home games were at 20% capacity, the majority of that students, during the 2020 season, Auburn is looking to get Jordan-Hare Stadium filled once again this fall. Obviously a packed house is the goal for any football program, but Greene on Tuesday vocalized it in an Auburn context for the first time.

“Our hope, like everybody else in the country, is for full capacity,” Greene said. “If we have to adjust down the road, we’ll adjust down the road.”

As he did last offseason during a nation-wide scramble amongst college sports leaders, Greene, about to enter his fourth football season as Auburn’s AD, has been working with other other athletic directors and outsourcing for opinions and feedback about his athletic department’s plan to bring fans back to football stadiums safely.

The prevailing thought process is to aim high in terms of capacity, then dial it down as need be.

“Most of the colleagues I’ve spoken to, and not just in our league but around the country, are doing that,” Greene said.

Jordan-Hare Stadium allowed 17,490 fans inside for home games last season. Auburn bumped up capacity to 40% for its spring game last month, and 25,210 fans showed up.

The Tigers haven’t played in front of a capacity crowd at home since the 2019 Iron Bowl — 529 days ago.

After the spring game, Bryan Harsinmentioned June 1 — when the NCAA recruiting dead period is set to be lifted and official visits can resume on campuses across the country — as a date Auburn was eyeing in regards to new COVID-19 protocols for the football program. 

Whether that included a vaccine plan for the team, Harsin isn’t yet sure. Regardless, he said the program is working to ensure that players, coaches and recruits who want to come on campus will feel safe and comfortable.

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2COMMENTS

"The NCAA throws something out there and says it's open, but we all know that every state and every program has different ways of dealing with this," Harsin said. "We'll have our way. But we've got to work off of everybody else and come up with a really good plan, so the people we bring on campus and the way we do things, we operate where we're taking care of everybody."

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey dropped the state’s mask mandate April 9, and ordered this month that Alabama’s state of emergency be lifted July 6: “We are signaling loud and clear that Alabama is open, and we are moving forward.”

[woodford 3,655]

Hopefully we will have full capacity. Other sports have opened up. The school and the town needs the revenue from a full stadium. 

[gravejd 3,270]

I like the sound of a full stadium next season. I really hope to make it down for a couple of games to celebrate the new era of AU football!

[DAG 33,981]

But we had no plans..I kidd, I Kidd.

[Mikey 16,580]

47 minutes ago, toddc said:

Urging fans to vaccinate, Auburn plans for full Jordan-Hare Stadium

Doing otherwise would be unthinkable. Both on the vaccine and the full stadium. It's time to return this nation to normal, and I do not mean some "new normal".  If you're concerned about the virus or don't want to get vaccinated the solution isn't complicated. Simply stay home.

[gr82be 14,423]

19 minutes ago, gravejd said:

I like the sound of a full stadium next season

In more ways than one. 

[toddc 13,194]

35 minutes ago, DAG said:

But we had no plans..I kidd, I Kidd.

See op tag! 😝 

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,297]

2022? It's that this year or next? I didn't see a date or clear answer to that

[toddc 13,194]

6 minutes ago, WDE_OxPx_2010 said:

2022? It's that this year or next? I didn't see a date or clear answer to that

It says this fall in the article!

Auburn is looking to get Jordan-Hare Stadium filled once again this fall

Edited May 12, 2021 by toddc

[W.E.D 11,070]

3 hours ago, Mikey said:

Doing otherwise would be unthinkable. Both on the vaccine and the full stadium. It's time to return this nation to normal, and I do not mean some "new normal".  If you're concerned about the virus or don't want to get vaccinated the solution isn't complicated. Simply stay home.

I wish it was that simple.  The idea of going and sitting with 87,000 people in a state where only 25% of the population has been vaccinated make me not want to go.

I had Braves tickets when it was limited capacity, but there was a rain out.  Not it's full capacity, I have a rain check and IDK if I really want to go.

[toddc 13,194]

5 hours ago, W.E.D said:

I wish it was that simple.  The idea of going and sitting with 87,000 people in a state where only 25% of the population has been vaccinated make me not want to go.

I had Braves tickets when it was limited capacity, but there was a rain out.  Not it's full capacity, I have a rain check and IDK if I really want to go.

If you’re vaccinated then you don’t have much to worry about. That’s the way it should be, if you aren’t comfortable then don’t go.

[W.E.D 11,070]

5 minutes ago, toddc said:

If you’re vaccinated then you don’t have much to worry about. That’s the way it should be, if you aren’t comfortable then don’t go.

Yeah I probably wouldn't. 

Just bc your vaccinated doesn't mean you're immune. Should have a very low possibility, but still a risk. 

I'd hope educated Auburn alum skew higher than the rest of the population 

[AUGunsmith 666]

Yea, hard pass on the vaccine, but ill still come hang out with 87000 friends. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,665]

I’m just glad they used this opportunity to further encourage the vaccine. Production wise, we’re definitely reaching a point where we can get close to that “normal” people desire, but ideologically, seems to be a conflict of interest with the remaining half of the country

keeping it just sports though, this is definitely in the best interest of the sport. CFB has had declining interest YoY and the power 5 product last season was one of the worst it’s ever been (which is understandable). Coincidentally, CFB is also the sport that needs atmospheres the most. I hope a return to form on the field can hopefully lead to an improved packaging and marketing of the sport (stop ******* pushing the CFP every 8 seconds every televised game) 

[Mikey 16,580]

14 hours ago, W.E.D said:

I'd hope educated Auburn alum skew higher than the rest of the population 

That's why we should have a full stadium. Most took enough biology classes to understand what the vaccine does. 

[AU9377 4,929]

11 hours ago, AUGunsmith said:

Yea, hard pass on the vaccine, but ill still come hang out with 87000 friends. 

I'm assuming you would pass on all vaccines.  If not, ask yourself why?

[AUGunsmith 666]

33 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

I'm assuming you would pass on all vaccines.  If not, ask yourself why?

Well that's a false equivalence,but I pass because of professional recommendations from my Dr. Wife, Dr. Sister, Dr. Infectious disease friend, and PharmD friends. 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

I was fully prepared to take my wife and kids to the Atlanta United game this Saturday. Growns vaxxed, littles both 6 and under. They opened the facility up to *full capacity and McWifey balked. She was still "willing"- which we all know means "had no desire"- to go but didn't want to take the kids. Sold my tickets. I was mad for about 48 hours but am now at peace with it. 

*"Full" in the Benz is normally 55k for United games. They don't sell tickets in the uppermost level. 3-4 times a year they open it up all the way to 70k+. I don't think that's the case this Saturday. Either way, I don't think it matters for the purposes of this conversation as density will more or less be the same during the game.

 

[fredst 9,064]

3 hours ago, AUGunsmith said:

professional recommendations from my Dr. Wife, Dr. Sister, Dr. Infectious disease friend, and PharmD friends.

Interesting....

[AUfan_UAgrad 230]

On 5/12/2021 at 9:03 AM, Mikey said:

 or don't want to get vaccinated the solution isn't complicated. Simply stay home.

So since, for at the moment, I have chosen not to get vaccinated I should stay at home?   Not saying I will NOT get vaccinated just have decided to wait for more data to come out and for them to be FDA Approved (FDA approved and FDA approved for emergency use are 2 different things).

[McLoofus 35,182]

23 minutes ago, AUfan_UAgrad said:

So since, for at the moment, I have chosen not to get vaccinated I should stay at home?   Not saying I will NOT get vaccinated just have decided to wait for more data to come out and for them to be FDA Approved (FDA approved and FDA approved for emergency use are 2 different things).

You should probably stay away from anyone under the age threshold for getting the vaccine, since they don't have that option. 

[AU9377 4,929]

4 hours ago, AUGunsmith said:

Well that's a false equivalence,but I pass because of professional recommendations from my Dr. Wife, Dr. Sister, Dr. Infectious disease friend, and PharmD friends. 

 

You can make your choice.  I have no problem with that.  I do question how anyone can have 3 MDs in the family that all caution against getting a vaccine that they themselves have likely received.  But by all means.....

[W.E.D 11,070]

7 hours ago, Mikey said:

That's why we should have a full stadium. Most took enough biology classes to understand what the vaccine does. 

From the state wide numbers, I don't think that is accurate.  Not sure it is in Georgia either.  Haven't seen it broken down by education level, but I'd hope college grads would skew further towards vaccinated

[CoffeeTiger 5,106]

 

1 hour ago, AU9377 said:

You can make your choice.  I have no problem with that.  I do question how anyone can have 3 MDs in the family that all caution against getting a vaccine that they themselves have likely received.  But by all means.....

To me, them being in the same family/social circle actually makes it more believable that they'd all say the same thing. 

If he said he'd been to 3 separate, independent doctors who told him that then I'd question the validity. 

Edited May 13, 2021 by CoffeeTiger

[AU-24 3,071]

Greene Says: “We don't make the decision in our department, neither do any of our peers. The decisions are made with our health officials, so the better that our communities do in regard to COVID vaccinations, the more opportunity we have to have everybody together again.”

I wonder why as of 1 March, (2 1/2 months ago) 7 SEC schools and numerous other power five conference schools around the country, have already made the decision? I mean the decision that school athletic departments nor their peers are allowed to make?

How many fans at SEC games in 2021? These 7 teams, including LSU, hopeful for full capacity.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_d2848bb6-7af4-11eb-abbe-23005d3e6308.amp.html