UGA feels good about stadium crowd plan, but changes are coming to student section

From the Sanford Stadium turf, Georgia senior deputy athletic director Josh Brooks glanced around the stands to see a limited crowd equally spaced and compliant to guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five months of work — developing and implementing a blueprint of distanced seating — had come to pass. Everything seemingly paid off.

Once Saturday’s home opener kicked off, however, millions of eyes were fixated on a prime time broadcast. And from an outsider’s eye watching from home, viewers saw students crowded together. ESPN announcers referenced the crowd frequently and showed people in five-second clips — focusing on the main student congregation in the West 100 sections of the stadium.

During Georgia’s 27-6 win over Auburn, the chatter began to spread on social media. Criticism focused on the student section. Said one viewer via Twitter, “Is the Georgia student section not social/physical distancing?”

An overhead view of the entire stadium told a different story — red seatbacks and vinyl seat designations were all equidistant from each other.

“It’s frustrating when someone only sees what is on TV and makes an assumption,” said Brooks, who puts a focus on facility management. “We put in the work and we do have a great plan. All it takes is one shot and people think that’s reality throughout the stadium.”

After a trial run, Georgia is confident in its plan as a whole. But the school is aware of the issues regarding the student section and will make some changes for Saturday’s home game against Tennessee.

The crowding during the Auburn game, despite frequent reminders, was too much for Brooks’ liking. He said he was impressed with the compliance of most attending students, and called it a “one percent” issue while applauding 99 percent of the others.

The issue was exacerbated, Brooks said, when a camera crew would pan around the crowd and go the bleachers. Students wanted a national TV appearance, and the athletic association hopes to eliminate those instances with a few tweaks in protocol.

• Reallocation of student seating, which will include moving some students out of that main section and to open spots in either the West 100 or North 300 sections. The goal is to better space out students and reduce the likelihood of crowding.

• Remaining vigilant on wrist-banding from the moment gates open. This helps Georgia ensure students aren’t bunched together and away from their assigned seat.

• Brooks said Georgia will not allow more students into Saturday’s game, an option that was under consideration. The approach currently allows 3,200 students (including band and cheerleaders) into the stadium. In a normal season without distancing rules, 16,000 students are permitted.

“It’s like flies to a light,” Brooks said of the cameras. “They’ll all attract together to get a camera shot. We want to eliminate those, because it’s a gathering point. You can’t have that. … All it takes is a handful, and we have to get 99% compliance to 100%. We’ll do what it takes to get there.”

Feedback those in Georgia crowd ‘overwhelmingly positive’

Georgia’s reported attendance was 20,524 on Saturday, about 22% of the 92,746 Sanford Stadium capacity.

Those attending were prompted to keep distance, wear masks when roaming throughout the concourses and comply to guidelines. Only two people could be on an elevator at the same time. Fans noticed that ushers would ensure constant movement when moving up and down stairs to avoid congregation.

“I didn’t do it intentionally, but the pattern we had creates an illusion with a stair-step approach,” Brooks said. “The spacing was great, and I would encourage anyone to get an overhead shot to see that.”

Georgia said it did not receive legitimate complaints from those inside the stadium. The feedback was “overwhelmingly positive,” Brooks said.

A few attendees who spoke with The Telegraph had similar sentiments. Many had a full row to themselves as two rows separated each group of seats. All concession stands and restrooms were open, but some crowding was reported while waiting on those amenities.

“It was very much so spread out,” Ryan Mosley, an attendee from Perry, told The Telegraph. “We felt safe because guidelines were clearly stated and security made sure masks were worn.

“It was about as normal as it could be with reduced capacity,” said Jackson Fryburger, who traveled from the Atlanta area. “It felt like watching from a tailgate while still having that in-person experience. I was impressed with the set-up.”

“There were a couple of fans in our section (131) who slightly disobeyed protocol and didn’t wear masks,” said Mattox Snow, who traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina. “The actual space around the seats was much better than I expected.”

What about masks at Georgia football games?

Despite seating limitations, the Bulldogs had a loud crowd that drew multiple illegal procedure penalties from Auburn. UGA was also allowed to play artificial crowd noise. All SEC schools are permitted 70 decibels of fake crowd noise at a base level, and it can be amplified on key downs.

The Sanford Stadium video board, PA announcers and LED lights were used as if it were any other Saturday night game. That brought familiarity and normalcy to Georgia’s players.

“It felt like the whole 93,000 was in there,” Georgia pass rusher Malik Herring said. “It got really loud.”

Another critique of Georgia’s policy was related to mask-wearing. Fans had to wear masks when entering and moving throughout the concourse. When they reached their assigned seating “pods,” masks could be removed. Georgia’s protocol on masking falls in line with other SEC programs, and it’s something that the school feels comfortable with.

“It’s an outdoor event,” Brooks said. “When we have any event in Stegeman (Coliseum), that’ll change and you’ll be required to wear your mask the entire time. It’s a matter of indoor vs. outdoor.”

Brooks believes UGA’s overall plan falls in line with other programs who have had success with limited attendance. There are a few tweaks being made, but the perception from outsiders vs. those attending was vastly different.

Georgia has wanted its new-look Sanford Stadium experience to be like Chick-fil-A and Disney World, one that exhibits kindness and safety. For the most part, the Bulldogs feel they accomplished that mission.

“After we got midway through the first quarter, it was a very smooth operation,” Brooks said. “Everything as a whole made for a great night.”

No. 3 Georgia (2-0) vs No. 12 Tennessee (2-0)

When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Athens (Sanford Stadium)

TV: CBS

Line: Georgia by 13

This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "UGA feels good about stadium crowd plan, but changes are coming to student section."