Cal Will Allow Full Capacity at Home Football Games This Season
"Awesome."
That was Cal coach Justin Wilcox's one-word response to the news that the Golden Bears will allow fall capacity at California Memorial Stadium for football games this fall.
Cal made the announcement Thursday that there will be a return to normalcy regarding home football games in 2021.
Last season, during the pandemic, only a few select people were allowed to attend Cal football games, which were contested in an eerie silence.
A virtually empty Memorial Stadium during Cal's 2020 game against nationally ranked Oregon. Photo by Kelley L. Cox, USA TODAY Sports
But that apparently is over. All Pac-12 schools are expected to allow full-capacity attendance at their home games this fall. USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, Washington State, Utah and Colorado have announced they will be at full capacity in 2021, and officials at Oregon and Oregon State have said they expect to be at full capacity. Stanford has not yet made an announcement on the issue, but it had limited fan attendance at its spring game, so it seems likely the Cardinal will allow full capacity at home games in the fall.
Besides Cal home games being open to spectators, traditions such as the Cal band, cheer and spirit, and Tailgate Town will return.
Full details regarding health and safety protocols, which will be in alignment with state guidelines, will be announced prior to the start of the fall seasons for all Golden Bear sports.
"We are excited to be able to welcome our fans back to Memorial Stadium and to all of our outdoor venues this fall," Cal athletic director Jim Knowlton said in a statement released by the school. "We know how much our fans have missed the experience of attending our games in person, which we can see through a 95 percent renewal rate for football season tickets and high demand for new tickets. We are looking forward to an exciting season here in Berkeley, and as we have done since the start of the pandemic, we will follow all state and local health protocols to ensure a safe environment for all those who come out to our games."
Cal football will host six opponents in Berkeley this fall, beginning Saturday, Sept. 4 vs. Nevada and concluding against USC on Saturday, Nov. 13. Other games are against Sacramento State (Sept. 18), Washington State (Oct. 2), Colorado (Oct. 23) and Oregon State (Oct. 30).
Season-ticket membership starts as low as $150 per seat, guaranteeing the lowest price, best seat location, parking, and access to away games and postseason tickets. For more information, visit CalBears.com/tickets or email goldstandard@berkeley.edu. Fans can also send a text to (800) GO BEARS (462-3277).
Cal will transition to mobile ticketing exclusively for all athletic events beginning this fall.
Schedules for sports other than football will be announced later this summer.
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