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Even if your favorite college football team finds a way to play this fall despite the pandemic, it seems unlikely you will be allowed to watch games in person.

But there’s a simple way for Cal to make sure you’re represented at Memorial Stadium on game days.

The San Francisco Giants have borrowed an idea from UK’s Exeter City soccer club and will allow season-ticket holders to send in a photo, which will be converted into a weather-proof cutout to be propped up in their seat at Oracle Park. The team is calling it the “Giants Fan Cutout Program,” a rather uninspired title.

If fans are not allowed to attend college football games this season, Cal should adopt the same plan. Perhaps call it something along the lines of “Bear-ly Missing A Moment.”

Here is Sports Illustrated's video story on the Giants' cutout plan:

Cal would ask season-ticket holders submit a digital photo that can be turned into the cutout. Fans can dress in their favorite Golden Bears’ blue & gold gear — T-shirts, caps, etc — and their cutout will be placed in the actual seat location of their season ticket.

If you own four seats, the entire family can “attend” home games together.

To commemorate this (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime fan experience, Cal can provide fans a digital photo of them or their group in Memorial Stadium. The Bears are hoping to assemble a special season in 2020, and what fan wouldn't enjoy getting a photo of themselves in the stadium as a holiday gift.

The same process can be applied to the Cal student section and the Cal Marching Band, giving the stadium an approximation of “normal” even if fans cannot be there in person. Each of those participants would be given a digital group photo.

For non-season-ticket holders, the Giants are charging $99 to create the fan cutout. Given that Cal expects to play just seven home games (compared to 30 for the reduced MLB schedule), perhaps a $50 price tag would encourage participation.

Cal should even encourage opposing team fans to purchase one-game cutouts to be placed in the visiting team sections. Having a splash of green (Oregon), purple (Washington) or cardinal (Stanford) in the southeast visitors corner of Memorial Stadium would add a touch of authenticity to the event (although perhaps Stanford fans would be charged a bit more).

I would go so far as to suggest the athletic department could announce “attendance” figures based on the number of cutout fans in the stadium.

Exeter City had 1,256 fans participate. That seems like a fairly modest target for Cal fans.

Even so, in the SI.com story on the Giants’ plan, Matt Taylor, Exeter City manager, said: "Although it was a surreal experience to play the match at St James Park without crowds, seeing all those faces in the stand was amazing for the lads.”

I’m guessing coach Justin Wilcox’s “lads” would enjoy the same experience this fall if their flesh-and-blood fans are prevented from filling Memorial Stadium.