Georgia Tech Announces Fan Safety Protocols for 2020 Football Games

LINKS

• Support The Swarm Fund
• Welcome Back to Bobby Dodd Stadium Fan Manual (.pdf)
• Seat Selection Information
• Contactless Tickets Information

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech athletics, following guidance from the University System of Georgia (USG), Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s office, public health officials and the Atlantic Coast Conference, has announced a series of safety protocols that will be put in place for fans attending Georgia Tech football games at Bobby Dodd Stadium this fall, should the season be able to be carried out as currently planned.

The safety protocols include:

STADIUM CAPACITY

Attendance at games at Bobby Dodd Stadium will be limited to 20 percent of the stadium’s full capacity, or approximately 11,000 fans per game.

The 20 percent capacity will permit fans to attend Georgia Tech football games in an environment that allows for appropriate social distancing within Bobby Dodd Stadium’s seating bowl. Tickets will be distributed in seating clusters generally ranging from 2-8 tickets, with only tickets purchased from one account included in each cluster. Ticket holders are required to sit in their reserved seats and may not interact with fans located in other seating clusters while in the seating bowl.

FACE COVERINGS

Individuals (ages 2 and up) attending Georgia Tech football games at Bobby Dodd Stadium are required to wear an approved personal face covering at all times while within the stadium perimeter (stadium perimeter includes security queues at all stadium entrances, as well as queues at ticket and will call windows). Fans are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings at all times on Georgia Tech campus, beginning with when they leave their vehicles.

Approved face coverings must 1) be made with at least two layers of breathable material, 2) fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin, 3) fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face and 4) be secured to allow the guest to not have to keep the covering in place with his/her hands. Based on guidance from health officials, open-chin triangle bandanas and/or face coverings containing valves, mesh material and or holes of any kind are not acceptable face coverings. Additionally, costume masks are also not considered appropriate face coverings and are prohibited from being worn inside Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Exceptions to the face covering policies include: 1) when an individual is sitting in his/her assigned seat within the seating bowl, face coverings may be removed while eating and drinking and 2) an individual in club areas may remove face coverings when seated at a fixed area designated for eating and drinking. In both instances, face coverings must be reapplied when the individual is not eating or drinking. Additionally, fans with suite tickets must follow policies regarding face coverings any time that he/she is not inside the suite that he/she is ticketed for.

Fans that have a documented health condition that does not allow him/her to wear a mask must contact Georgia Tech athletics at gameday@athletics.gatech.edu at least two weeks prior the game(s) he/she plans to attend to request a stadium clearance process exemption. Clearance process requests filed less than two weeks prior to the game (including any requests made in-person on gameday) will not be considered. Any false claims of a health condition in efforts to obtain an exemption may result in suspension of access to Georgia Tech athletics facilities and events.

TICKETS

Tickets will be distributed based on the following order of priority, while supplies last:

1. 2020 season ticket members who have opted in for the 2020 season (season ticket members’ priority will be based on Alexander-Tharpe Fund priority points);
2. Stinger Mobile Pass holders;
3. if tickets still remain, single-game tickets will be made available to the general public.

2020 season ticket members should click HERE for more information on the seat selection process.

Season ticket members that are unable to attend games at Bobby Dodd Stadium are urged to consider redirecting their investment in season tickets as a donation to the Support The Swarm Fund, which was established to ensure that Georgia Tech athletics can maintain its momentum and continue to provide essential services to allow student-athletes and coaches to compete for championships at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics. For more information on the Support The Swarm Fund, click HERE.

Details on the distribution of Georgia Tech student tickets will be finalized and communicated to Georgia Tech students via email in the near future.

Visiting teams will be allotted 400 tickets within designated seating sections. Seats within those sections will be assigned at the discretion of the visiting institution.

Information on delivery of tickets for Georgia Tech student-athletes’ families is being finalized.

PARKING

Parking will be offered first to 2020 season ticket members, with the goal of matching fans to their current parking lot. If availability remains after season ticket members have been allocated parking, spaces will be assigned based first on A-T priority points, then in order of when requests were received.

CONTACTLESS TICKETING AND PARKING

In order to allow for contactless entry to Bobby Dodd Stadium and Institute-controlled parking lots, all 2020 Georgia Tech football tickets and parking passes will be delivered electronically to the ticket holder’s mobile device. Tickets and parking passes will not be available by mail nor will fans have the option to print tickets/passes at home. Contactless tickets and parking passes are similar to traditional event tickets, but easier to use and more secure.

Contactless ticket delivery allows for entry to Bobby Dodd Stadium and gameday parking lots via the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Simply put, ticket and pass holders will not have to touch a ticket to present it to a gate agent or share it with a family member or friend. For more information on contactless tickets, click HERE.

TAILGATING

UPDATE (WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28): TAILGATING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED FOR GEORGIA TECH VS. NOTRE DAME ON SATURDAY, OCT. 31.

Chairs, tables, grills and coolers will not be permitted outside of an individual’s vehicle and no loitering or gatherings of any size will be permitted in any on-campus area outside of the Bobby Dodd Stadium footprint for Friday’s game. Those who purchased parking passes for RV lots are still permitted to park their RVs on campus, but will not be permitted to participate in any tailgating activities outside of their vehicles. If a pass-holder for an RV lot wishes to exchange their pass for a spot in a standard lot on Friday, they may do so by contacting the Georgia Tech athletics ticket office.

Fans are still urged to arrive on campus and enter the stadium early, as a rush at the gates right before kickoff may cause delays that could keep fans from getting to their seats by kickoff. Parking lots will open two hours prior to kickoff (5 p.m.) and stadium gates will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff (5:30 p.m.).

To encourage fans to arrive early, all stadium concessions will be available beginning when gates open at 5:30 p.m. and selected items will be available at a discounted price for the first hour (5:30-6:30 p.m.). Discounted concession items for early arrivals include 32-oz. fountain beverages ($3), hot dogs ($2), pretzels ($3), nachos ($3) and popcorn ($2).

Fans are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings at all times on Georgia Tech campus, beginning with when they leave their vehicles.

Georgia Tech will continue to monitor the situation and guidance from public health experts when considering the possibility of re-instituting on-campus tailgating for home games later this season.

ENTERING BOBBY DODD STADIUM

In an effort to maintain social distancing throughout the stadium entry process, all tickets will have a designated entrance gate listed to allow for the most even distribution of fans entering the stadium as possible.

To aid in the contactless stadium entry process, Georgia Tech athletics’ venue bag policy has been amended for the 2020 football season to allow for each fan to bring in one (1) 1-gallon clear/resealable “Ziploc” style bag ONLY. ALL other bags are prohibited from Bobby Dodd Stadium in 2020 (including clear bags and small clutch bags previously permitted as a part of the bag policy). Exceptions will continue to be made for medical and/or diaper bags – fans with medical and/or diaper bags must request an individual inspection from the gate supervisor.

Additionally, Georgia Tech athletics’ venue bag policy has been amended for the 2020 football season to allow for each fan to bring in one (1) sealed bottle of water (up to 1 liter) and a travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer (3 oz).

To further aid in the implementation of a contactless stadium entry process, Georgia Tech athletics has invested in stadium-wide implementation of magnetometers, or walk-through metal detectors. All individuals will be required to walk through a magnetometer upon entry to Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Georgia Tech athletics will continue to provide a complimentary bag check on the exterior of Bobby Dodd Stadium for bags that do not comply with stadium policy and cannot be returned to the owner’s vehicle.

CONCOURSE OPERATIONS

Signage to promote social distancing, the required use of face coverings and the latest guidelines from public health officials, and mobile hand-sanitizing stations have been added throughout Bobby Dodd Stadium.

All in-stadium concession stands and merchandise booths will include line queuing designed to maintain social distancing. Additionally, all stands and booths will have plastic shields to separate fans from stadium staff, as well as the ability to serve fans that wish to utilize contactless point-of-sale technology (e.g. Apple Pay, etc.). For concessions, additional stands will be added throughout the stadium, including grab-and-go stations and beverage-only stands and portables.

For the first time, Georgia Tech athletics will sell alcohol in general seating areas of Bobby Dodd Stadium this year. This follows the introduction of a pilot program at Georgia Tech baseball’s Russ Chandler Stadium, which was successful in its implementation before the cancellation of the final two months of the baseball season last spring. For the full Bobby Dodd Stadium alcohol policies, click HERE.

All stadium restroom facilities have been reconfigured as part of this offseason’s refresh project to make utilization of the facilities more optimal. The reconfiguration includes a designated entrance and exit and equipped with sanitizing stations at each entrance/exit door (in addition to standard sinks/soap dispensers within each restroom). Additional custodial staff will be present for all games to keep concourses and restrooms stocked and cleaned throughout the games, with the frequency and scope of washdowns and cleanings increased.

Water fountains and water bottle filling stations will continue to be available throughout the stadium and will be routinely sanitized by stadium staff throughout the game. However, based on guidance from public health officials, Georgia Tech athletics will not utilize its “Water Monster” community water-spicket filling stations during the 2020 season.

Finally, elevators within Bobby Dodd Stadium will be limited to 25 percent capacity, per guidance from public health officials.

PREMIUM SEATING

For Bobby Dodd Stadium’s suites, capacity will be reduced to the number of seats available in each suite and suite owners will assume responsibility for social distancing enforcement within closed suite environment. Suite guest tickets and passes have been eliminated for 2020.

All club-style premium spaces will have a 20 percent capacity limit. Like in the general stadium concourses, shields have been added to point of sale at all food and beverage locations within club areas, and signage and distance markers have been added throughout the club areas to promote social distancing and the latest guidelines from public health officials.

MARKETING AND FAN PROMOTIONS

In accordance with guidance from public health officials, the following traditional pregame Georgia Tech football festivities will not be held this year:

• Yellow Jacket Alley (will be replaced this year by a new virtual team arrival celebration);
• Georgia Tech marching band pregame show on Callaway Plaza steps;
• 404 Tailgate;
• Wreckfest (Georgia Tech Bookstore location will remain on the stadium’s exterior).

Additionally, per ACC guidelines, the Georgia Tech Marching Band, cheer team and Gold Rush dance team will not be permitted to perform on the field.

Finally, in order to promote social distancing and follow guidelines from public health officials, all giveaways will be conducted virtually or contactless.

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and the Support The Swarm Fund, created to give fans an opportunity to help Georgia Tech athletics maintain its recent momentum through the financial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.  

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