ATHENS — Georgia football announced its plans for fans attending games at Sanford Stadium this season.

UGA will allow between 20 and 25 percent capacity, per a Wednesday release.

That would mean the Bulldogs could allow for between 18,549 and 23,186 fans in 92,746-seat Sanford Stadium.

DawgNation reported last month the Bulldogs would be allowing a minimum of 18,000 at home games this season.

The UGA release said the school will provide as many season ticket holders as possible the opportunity to attend, at minimum, one of the four home games.

Tickets to road games will not be available, except for the annual trip to Florida to play the Gators in Jacksonville.

The release also states that, “Donors who have to opt out for this year, will not be penalized and will keep their seat location for 2021.”

Donor levels will determined how many tickets can be purchased:

“Single tickets will cost $150/ticket per-game. This includes a $75 ticket price and a $75 contribution requirement. These costs will be deducted from any previously paid 2020 football season ticket payments and   Hartman Fund contributions. All tickets allocated will include a seatback on each seat to help facilitate social distancing and enhance the experience for all attendees.  All tickets will be delivered via mobile delivery.

Georgia opens the season on Sept. 26 at Arkansas, with home games against Auburn (Oct. 3) and Tennessee (Oct. 10) to follow. UGA’s next home game after that is against Mississippi State (Nov. 21), and the team closes the season with a home game abasing Vanderbilt on Dec. 5.

RELATED: Georgia schedule front-loaded, six weeks away from home

The Bulldogs have just four home games at Sanford Stadium this season, one less than the other SEC teams.

Georgia has opted to keep its designated home game with Florida in Jacksonville. The TIAA Bank Field safety protocols and seating have yet to be announced.

• Alabama announced on Tuesday it would allow 20,000 fans in 101,821-seat Bryant-Denny Stadium.

• Tennessee announced it would allow 25 percent capacity (25,613) at 102,455- seat Neyland Stadium.

The SEC released its guidelines earlier on Tuesday, sharing protocols for fan safety and tailgating in a release.

Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said last month that all fans at Sanford Stadium would be required to wear masks, and that turns out to be one of the SEC requirements.

“I give a lot of credit to Josh Brooks and his staff,” McGarity said on a Zoom call with reporters last month, praising the Bulldogs’ senior deputy athletics director. “We’ve had an army of individuals working on what would our social distancing plan be … those that are able to come to our games can feel they are as safe as possible.

“We just want to do our best to create the safest environment for anyone in the confines of Sanford Stadium, whether that’s fans or student-athletes, that’s our charge.”

The SEC left tailgating and team walks — such as the DawgWalk — up to the individual schools.

Georgia has yet to make a formal announcement on either. A preliminary plan earlier this summer indicated there would not be tailgating.

SEC Guidelines released on Tuesday

Attendance

  • Institutions shall determine the number of guests permitted to attend in accordance with applicable state and local guidelines, policies and/or regulations. In the absence of state and/or local guidelines, policies and/or regulations, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations on physical distancing should be applied.

 

Face Coverings

  • Face coverings (over the nose and mouth) shall be required as a condition of all guest ingress, egress, and movement throughout the stadium, as well as any time guests are unable to maintain the recommended physical distance from others who are not in their same household.
  • Stadium workers and athletics staff should wear face coverings at all times.

 

Food, Beverage and Merchandise

  • Barriers (e.g., plexiglass) shall be installed at all points-of-sale or otherwise all concessions staff shall wear a face shield plus a mask.
  • Queuing lines at points-of-sale shall permit physical distancing between guests. 
  • “Grab and go” food/beverage options should be considered at points-of-sale locations.
  • Beverages shall be provided directly to guests. Machines designed to allow guests to fill or refill beverages must remain inoperable.
  • Condiments shall be offered only as single-serve condiments, and condiment carts shall be prohibited.
  • All portable points-of-sale locations shall be strategically placed to ensure physical distancing is permitted between guests who are in line or may be in close proximity to the selling location for other purposes.  

 

Gate Ingress/Egress

  • Signage shall be installed at parking lots, pedestrian paths to the stadium, gates and/or other ingress/entry points that outlines mandates for all guests to wear face coverings, maintain physical distancing and mandates guests do not enter the stadium if they display any COVID-19 symptoms as outlined by the CDC.
  • All tickets shall be digitally scanned.
  • The footprint at all gates and ingress/entry and egress/exit points shall permit physical distancing between guests.

 

Guest Shuttles

  • Institutions that cooperate with and/or arrange for shuttles to transport guests to/from the stadium shall ensure the shuttle operator has sufficient protocols/procedures in place including, but not limited to, the following:
  • Maintaining physical distancing while guests are on the shuttle, entering/exiting the shuttle and while waiting in lines to board the shuttle;
  • Requiring face coverings as a condition for shuttle usage for drivers and guests at all times while aboard the shuttle, entering/exiting and while waiting in line; and
  • Planning to sufficiently and regularly disinfect the shuttle.

 Plans for Disinfection, Symptomatic Guests, Communication/Public Relations and American with Disabilities Act

  • Institutions shall have a documented plan that outlines the procedures/protocol for appropriate disinfection of the stadium.
  • Institutions shall have a documented plan that outlines the procedures/protocol for working with guests who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Institutions shall launch a communication/public relations campaign for communicating all COVID-19 procedures/protocol to prospective guests.
  • Institutions shall ensure they comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the development and implementation of all procedures/protocols.

 Premium Seating – Suites and Clubs

  • “Suite hopping” shall be prohibited.
  • Sufficient signage that promotes and instructs suite holders to wear face coverings and maintain physical distancing shall be installed near ingress/entry points.
  • Furniture shall be arranged in clubs to promote physical distancing.
  • Each suite and club shall be supplied with sufficient hand washing and/or hand sanitizing stations.
  • Guests shall be permitted to access “field level” suites or clubs that are not within six feet (6’) of any team area. Additionally, institutions must ensure guests do not access a pathway to enter or exit a “field level” suite or club at the same time a student-athlete, coach, team staff member, game official or other game participant is utilizing the same pathway.

 Public Areas Inside Stadium

  • Institutions shall ensure the set-up and operational procedures in all areas accessed by guests permit physical distancing including, but not limited to, the following areas:
  • Guest Seating
  • Concourses and Gathering Places
  • Dining Areas (high top tables, extended countertops, etc.)
  • Concessions Sales
  • Merchandise Sales
  • Restrooms
  • Elevators
  •  Escalators
  • Sufficient signage that promotes and instructs guests to wear face coverings and maintain physical distancing shall be in place in areas accessed by guests. 
  • Signage must specify the maximum number of guests who may be inside an elevator simultaneously at each elevator entry point (elevator operators shall wear face coverings).
  • The usage of traditional water fountains or other apparatuses providing drinking water shall be prohibited and all must be clearly marked or covered to indicate its use is prohibited.  This does not apply to apparatuses that use touchless technology.
  • Sufficient hand washing and/or hand sanitizing stations should be present throughout the stadium. 

 Restrooms

  • Entry and exit points shall be clearly designated, and sufficient signage shall be in place to assist with traffic flow and promote physical distancing. 
  • Institutions shall implement measures that promote physical distancing, reduce touch points and/or assist with minimizing the spread of COVID-19 including, but not limited to, the following:
  • Installing additional hand sanitizer and hand soap dispensers; and
  • Leaving doors open at entry/exit points.

 Tailgating

  • Institutions shall determine whether tailgating or other large gatherings of guests (e.g., alumni events, university recruiting events, etc.) are permitted on property owned and/or controlled by the institution in accordance with applicable state and local guidelines, policies and/or regulations. In the absence of state and/or local guidelines, CDC recommendations on physical distancing should be applied.
  • Considerations should be given as to the time parking lots open.

 

Team Walks

  • Institutions shall determine whether team walks are permitted in accordance with applicable state and local guidelines, policies and/or regulations. 
  • If permitted, all institutional personnel (e.g., student-athletes, coaches, team staff, athletic department staff, etc.) and guests in attendance shall wear face coverings. 
  • If permitted, institutions shall ensure recommended physical distancing exists and may be maintained at all times between walk participants and guests. Team walks shall be prohibited if physical distancing cannot be implemented during its entirety.