The Univ. of Oklahoma is "considering reducing or eliminating student tickets and seating" for the '20 football season due to the "ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," according to Reese Gorman of the NORMAN TRANSCRIPT. The athletics department will be "adding additional guidelines to student seating to be enforced at all future home games." These include "explicit designation of seating sections on student tickets to eliminate any previous confusion about the proper location for student attendees" and the "establishment of student seating clusters in groups of 2 to 10." There also will be "clearer concourse signage at the entry ramps for the student sections" and "clearly delineated prohibited seating sections marked by flagging tape" (NORMAN TRANSCRIPT, 9/19). In Oklahoma City, Ryan Aber noted the changes "came about after meetings between school officials and student leaders after the student section was tightly clustered together -- many without masks -- with large swaths of empty rows for the opener." Fans in all areas of the stadium are "required to wear masks except when eating or drinking and are to maintain social distancing at all times" (OKLAHOMAN, 9/19).
OKLAHOMA STATE FANS FINE WITH TICKET PROCESS: In Oklahoma City, Jenni Carlson noted Oklahoma State has "about 23,500 season-ticket holders watching from afar," which is "nearly three-quarters" of them. But even as OSU "whittled down the number of season-ticket holders who would get seats" in order to keep attendance to 25% capacity, the process "created very few frustrated fans." OSU Associate AD/Ticket Operations & Fan Service Andy Sumrall said season-ticket holders’ emotions have "been very positive.” Carlson wrote in a season with "sky-high expectations," frustration "is not high." When OSU decided to limit capacity to 25%, "about 50% of the roughly 32,000 season-ticket holders said they were opting out." That "still left OSU with 16,000 season-ticket requests when it only had room for about 8,500." OSU decided to "limit each account to a maximum of six seats," and then "allowed season-ticket holders to go online and select their seats from a socially distanced grid." As that process went along, "many fans found seats to their liking," while "some did not -- and they opted out" (OKLAHOMAN, 9/19).
