Students often look forward to packed stadiums and gyms as they cheer on the Redhawk teams with their friends. However, with the number of COVID-19 cases in Texas, sporting events in the district will look different with reduced capacity, live-streaming, and no designated student section. 

“The social-distancing mandates required by the state and UIL will reduce the seating capacity significantly, although I don’t have a specific percentage of normal maximum capacity that we’ll be at,” Frisco ISD athletics facilitator Matt Wixon said via email. “UIL maximum is 50 percent capacity, but even at 50 percent capacity, appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained, so it will be less than that.”

Restrictions have been placed for all fall sports visitors in an effort to adhere to CDC guidelines. 

“For all levels of volleyball and all levels of football other than varsity, only parents of student participants (athletes, cheerleaders, support personnel) will be able to purchase tickets,” Wixon said. “That is obviously due to the need for social distancing in our gyms.”

However, varsity football will give ticket priority to parents of those involved in the games, and the remaining tickets will be available to the rest of the public. 

“For varsity football, parents of participating students (athletes, cheerleaders, band and drill team members, team support staff, etc.) will be given priority access to the available tickets for individual games,” Wixon said. “After they have access, a limited number of tickets will be available, but the exact process by which they are sold is not yet finalized. Tickets for each game will not be available for sale until the week of the game, and the first games are Sept. 24”

With limited capacity and social distancing, there will be no student section. So, football games will be different for players and coaches. However, athletic coordinator and head football coach Matt Swinnea appreciates they still get to play this season. 

“For the players, it is always great to have the support and that will be missed, but we are certainly glad for the opportunity to play,” Swinnea said. “For the sake of the students, I hate that the traditional fan experience might not exist.”

This will change the Friday night experience for students like senior Avery Jennings, who looked forward to cheering on her friends her last year of high school. 

“I definitely think that social distancing at football games in the student section would be good for the reduction of the number of cases especially in the high school,” Jennings said. “But it’ll be different and maybe less fun for the students trying to participate in the school spirit.”

Since not many people will be able to attend games and meets, Frisco ISD will offer live-streaming services through the National Federation of State High School Associations. 

“During the 2020-21 school year, Frisco ISD will offer live broadcasts of nearly every athletic event at an FISD venue,” Wixon said. “The games will be broadcast on NFHSNetwork.com <http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/>. The streams are available to everyone through a subscription purchase with NFHSNetwork.com. The cost is $10.99 per month or $69.99 per year for unlimited access to all broadcasts, which includes UIL playoffs and state events and every school district that is part of NFHS nationwide.”