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UT Austin Says It Will Allow 50% Capacity At Longhorn Football Games This Fall

UT Austin plans to allow 50% seating capacity at football games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this fall during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gabriel C. Pérez
/
KUT
UT Austin plans to allow 50% seating capacity at football games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this fall during the coronavirus pandemic.

Texas Longhorns football plans to return to the Forty Acres this fall.

UT Austin has announced it will move forward with a 50% seating capacity for football games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

The continuation of home games is in line with Gov. Greg Abbott's emergency order, which allows live sports to continue at 50% capacity during the pandemic.

The stadium holds just over 100,000 people, although that figure was going to be reduced slightly this season because of renovations in the stadium's south end, the Associated Press reports.

The school says it can properly space fans and allow all season ticket holders to see every home game. Athletic Director Chris Del Conte sent a note to season ticket holders that they can opt out of going to 2020 games without losing their regular seats going into 2021.

The move comes as some college football programs are limiting play due to COVID-19. Both the Big Ten and the Pac-12 have limited their football programs to in-conference play only, while some smaller conferences have canceled or postponed seasons altogether.

The Longhorns' first game in Austin is scheduled for Sept. 5 against the University of South Florida.

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