After meetings between UCF Athletics, Florida Department of Health officials in Orange County and University administration, it has been determined that stadium capacity will be reduced to 25% of the normal 44,206 capacity at the Bounce House for the first home game Oct. 3 versus Tulsa. Officials will monitor the situation to determine if capacity limits can be increased during the season.
The UCF ticket office communicated today with all season-ticket holders to provide them with details and options.
Here is what Knight fans can expect for home games in 2020:
--UCF will play host to four home games, all of them against American Athletic Conference opponents: Oct. 3 vs. Tulsa, Oct. 24 vs. Tulane, Nov. 14 vs. Temple and Nov. 21 vs. Cincinnati.
--All tickets will be sold and distributed on a single-game basis for UCF's four home games—to enable as many fans as possible to see the Knights in person in 2020.
--Each section of the Bounce House may be filled to 25% capacity to allow for physical distancing, meaning the stadium will hold approximately 11,000 fans for games this fall. Approximately 3,000 of those seats are expected to be allocated to UCF students via a lottery process.
--Suites, field cabanas and other premium seating areas will be utilized, but at reduced capacities.
--All fans will be required to wear masks at all times due to COVID-19—other than while eating and drinking in their seats.
--Physical distancing is strongly encouraged in seating and common areas. Fans within groups may choose to sit together.
--As previously announced, all tickets will be digital beginning in 2020. Details will be provided for fans to access and utilize their tickets via smart phones.
--Parking passes will be mailed as in past seasons—including all appropriate details relative to pass locations, RV parking and traffic flow.
There is no expectation for sales of any tickets to away games due to limited capacities at all venues. Fans interested in attending games at other stadiums will need to either purchase tickets directly through the home team's ticket office or through the secondary market.
UCF Athletics is following the guidance and direction of the Florida Department of Health, Orange County and UCF health professionals—in addition to consulting with the Orlando Health Business Ready Team. All of those units are now informing UCF Athletics decisions on how to best protect the health and well-being of fans on game days within athletic facilities this fall. UCF also is working off a lengthy list of health protocols and recommendations provided by the AAC.
"We certainly appreciate that it has been a complicated spring and summer for our season-ticket holders and UCF fans in general as we awaited news on football for 2020," says UCF vice president and director of athletics Danny White.
"Now that we have a reviewed and supported plan for stadium occupancy by fans for home games this fall, we are ready to move forward—always with the health and well-being of our fans and student-athletes as our top priority."
