If the SEC really cared, they’d ban fans

If there’s one thing that differentiates us from other football conferences, it’s tailgating.

The regalia of The Grove. The boats below Neyland. The whole LSU scene.

We are legendary.

Most schools are going to ban tailgating this season. After all, they don’t want a reduced stadium to spurn a party of 100,000 outside (we see you, Baton Rouge!).

That could lead to some innovative tailgating spots in parks with big screens getting put up for people to watch games like you would for play-off games in different professional sports cities, but most sensible people will walk away. Georgia is not yet decided on this. 

The stadiums themselves – schools have announced – will be reduced by around 20-25%.

According to Alabama’s 24-7 Sports people, this is what the reduced capacity will look like for schools who have announced their ticket plans:

• Alabama – 20,364 (20% reduction from 101,281).
• Arkansas – 17,000 (23% reduction from 72,000).
• Auburn – 17, 490  (20% reduction from 87,451)
• Georgia – 23,000 (20% reduction from 92,746)
• Ole Miss – 16,010 (25% reduction from 64,038)
• Mississippi State – 15,334 (25% reduction from 61,337)
• Missouri – 16,655 (25% reduction from 62,621)
• Tennessee – 25,614 (25% reduction from 102,455)
• Texas A&M – 25,683 (25% reduction from 102,733)

OK, but here are my biggest questions for the schools: How are you going to keep fans socially distanced? Especially if the game’s gone down to the wire and everyone leaves at the same time? How are  you going to keep fans from the gantries or the toilets? Will there be a temperature check to get in before games? Will seats be reassigned to ensure the 6ft apart distance? Will fans have to wear masks – and what consequences will there be if they don’t? 

And that’s just off the top of my head. I have thought of more, which include fan transportation, luxury box amounts, and many other things, but it would take me writing the book of James.

But if we think about it, there are simply too many damned questions that aren’t being answered.

And what’s more schools not only are asking people to work out whether they are ‘opting in’ or ‘opting out’, but they are also charging fans more to get in. And this during a recession, the fact that the players aren’t getting paid anything, and they get over $240 million in TV rights per year.

If SEC schools REALLY cared about their fans and their fans’ health, then they would ban everyone from the stadiums – or if they really needed schools to reduce their capacities to 10%.

I’m sure the fanbases would grouse, but they would understand.