Clemson will play 2020 football season opener in an empty stadium
Clemson’s season opener will be played in an empty stadium.
Wake Forest announced Tuesday that no fans will be allowed at its game against Clemson on Sept. 12.
The decision was made after guidance from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The state of North Carolina is still in a phase of its coronavirus reopening plan that prevents sporting events from allowing crowds of fans.
Wake Forest also announced that tailgating will not be allowed outside of the stadium or in nearby parking lots.
“We understand there are many variables involved in fighting the pandemic and we respect DHHS’s guidance,” Wake Forest athletic director John Currie said in a statement. “We will miss the passion and support of Wake Forest fans in the Truist Field stands on September 12, but we will continue to work to demonstrate our ability to safely host Deacon Nation for future contests.”
While some road venues are allowing limited stadium capacity this season, almost all of those tickets will be reserved for home fans. Clemson fans won’t be able to directly purchase tickets for any away game, though some might come available on the secondary market.
The ACC is allowing schools approximately 200 tickets for away games this season but not for the general public. Those 200 tickets include complimentary tickets for coaches and tickets for players’ family members.
That includes Clemson’s game at Notre Dame, which is the highlight of the Tigers’ 2020 regular season schedule. Notre Dame, which announced stadium capacity of 20% or less Monday, said it will “promote safety by limiting attendance to those individuals who are current members of the Notre Dame campus community.”
The Irish did make an exception for family members of opposing teams’ players, saying “they will be very limited in number, and those individuals will be seated in separate areas of the stadium.”
Clemson will have fans in the stands at Memorial Stadium the week after the Wake Forest game when the Tigers host The Citadel on Sept. 19 in their home opener. Clemson will host about 19,000 fans per game in 2020, with 2,300 of those tickets going to students.
Clemson football 2020 schedule
Sept 12: at Wake Forest
Sept. 19: The Citadel
Sept. 26: Open
Oct. 3: vs. Virginia
Oct. 10: vs. Miami
Oct. 17: at Georgia Tech
Oct. 24: vs. Syracuse
Oct. 31: vs. Boston College
Nov. 7: at Notre Dame
Nov. 14: Open
Nov. 21: at Florida State
Nov. 28: vs. Pitt
Dec. 5: at Virginia Tech
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 9:43 AM.
