GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University Athletic Association's first meeting of the Return to Campus Plan committee was back on March 9. That was four days before the country — and with it, the sports world — shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee, of course, didn't shut down. In fact, it met weekly over the next six months, all the while taking in information and formulating a plan that will be in place Saturday when the third-ranked Gators face South Carolina in the first home football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium of the 2020 season.
Chip Howard, the UAA's executive associate athletic director for internal affairs, took members of the media on a stadium tour Tuesday to explain the various safety protocols — developed in conjunction with UF Health, the Southeastern Conference and its Medical Guidance Task Force — that will be in place for the game's 20-percent attendance capacity using physical distancing throughout the facility.
"We want the people who come in here to feel safe, comfortable and confident," Howard said. "Safety is our No. 1 priority."
Florida fans will notice a difference instantly Saturday morning, with overnight parking and tailgating prohibited on the campus this fall. Parking lots will open three hours before the noon kickoff. There will be no Gator Walk, Gator Walk Village or Gator Fan Fest.
As fans approach the stadium, they will be bombarded with signage and reminders about physical distancing, wearing masks, hand-washing and sanitizing. Similar reminders and signage will be ubiquitous throughout the concourses, with staff members monitoring the areas and encouraging protocols be followed.
Mask, sanitizing and social-distancing reminders will be constant during Saturday's home opener.
Need to know points of emphasis:
• GATE ENTRY— There will be 10 gates (West 1-4, North 7-8, East 12 and15, South 16 and18), plus the Skybox lobby and Champions Club entrance to enter the stadium. Fans are encouraged to use the gate nearest to their seats to reduce congestion and increase safety. All tickets will be mobile (thus contactless) through the Gators App, with ticketing staff instructed not to touch a fan's phone.
Gate Entry Guide.
• SEATING IN BOWL — All of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will be used to further enhance physical distancing among the 16,956 available seats. All seats will be cushioned, which will allow better monitoring by ushers, as no fans will be permitted to sit on bleachers. Seats will be in clusters of two and four, with four seats eliminated between every set of seats to allow for proper physical distancing. Every other row will be vacant to provide spacing and walkways, so fans will not step over each other in a row.
• RESTROOMS — Doors will be propped open at all times, with one way in and one way out, and markers every six feet. Sinks have been updated for extended hand-washing and hand sanitizer stations positioned at each exit. A 63-member disinfecting crew will be wiping down hard surfaces and cleaning high-traffic touch points constantly throughout the event.
• CONCESSIONS — Lines will include six-foot markings, service staff will be masked and food items individually packed, with condiments available only upon request. Fans can use the Florida Gators app on their cell phone to pre-order and reduce contact from guest and staff. All concession stands will be open to avoid long lines and clusters of customers.
• FIRST AID — All first aid stations will be staffed by Alachua County Fire and Rescue paramedics, EMTs and UF Health physicians. The ACFR will assume every patient has COVID symptoms and thus screen each on the exterior of the aid station before entrance. Only a limited number of patients and paramedics/physicians will be inside aid stations at a time. Any transportation of patients will be in single-person units.
"We know it's not going to be normal and not going to be what we're used to," UF athletic director
Scott Stricklin said. "But just because it's going to be different doesn't mean it can't be a lot of fun or can't be special. It's going to be a college football game, we have a really good team, and I think our fans are going to enjoy themselves."
