Nine changes Clemson football fans are going to notice about 2020 season
Even though there are questions as to how it will happen, we are still hopeful that a 2020 Clemson football season is going to take place.
The Big Ten went rouge with an announcement that it would only play in-conference games during the fall earlier this week and many CFB analysts are expecting the other Power-5 conference to follow suit.
Whether or not that happens, though, we all are in for some changes if the 2020 season does, in fact, take place.
Here are nine major changes Clemson football fans are going to take notice of, relating to both the Tigers and the rest of the country.
9. Fans in the stands
We’re going to start with the most obvious one.
While most University officials have remained hopeful that they’ll be able to have some stands in the fans, it’s pretty clear at this point we’re not going to see sellouts basically anywhere across the nation.
Several NFL teams have already noted that their expected an attendance is going to be capped at around 25 percent or less for their upcoming season and we should anticipate that College Football will be much of the same.
Could we see Death Valley with only 15,000 Clemson football fans in attendance? Maybe even less?
Not only are the numbers of fans allowed into the stadium going to be significantly lower, but the procedures are going to be different, as well. Expect to wear a mask if you attend the game. Expect that you might have your temperature taken and, finally, expect that you won’t be packed in the stands with the rest of your fellow Tiger fans. Instead, portions of the stadium and seats will be marked off and fans will be spread throughout to practice social distancing.
8. Bands & Cheerleaders
There has been small discussions about the involvement of bands and cheerleaders in College Football games this season and there’s been little consensus.
Even if bands and cheerleaders are both allowed, you have to imagine that they’ll look a little different. We can probably expect the cheerleaders to don masks.
The band, which normally sits in one section together, may be spread out into a couple of sections and possibly cut down in terms of numbers. We may not see away teams bring their bands, either.
While it’s impossible to know what will happen on this front yet, it’s still an aspect of the day that will be changed in some way, shape or form.
7. The overall atmosphere (both on TV and in-person)
As a result of the two things we mentioned previously, the overall atmosphere and pageantry of the game are going to be affected in some way.
Fans won’t be near as loud as before. Clemson football players will have to get used to running down the hill to the tune of potentially piped-in crowd noise as opposed to the normal 80,000-plus on their feet. Speaking of ‘piped-in,’ if bands aren’t allowed, you’ll likely hear fight songs played over the loud-speakers, which will certainly have a different feel.
Seeing empty stands and the atmosphere changes will be felt on a level more than just in-person. You’re going to feel those difference on television, at least for the first portion until football gets underway.
6. ESPN College GameDay
Getting outside of Clemson football for a second and talking about the nation, what about our favorite preview show?
ESPN College GameDay has been a staple in the College Football community for more than 30 years, but it’s clear that the show will look much different this time around.
As a way to discourage large gatherings, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the show commentators host their preview inside the stadium of the ‘game of the week’ rather than at a prominent place on campus where hundreds and even thousands of fans would typically gather behind their set with their iconic signs and unmatched passion.
They may even choose to simply host the show from the stadium or remotely.
That’s all speculation, but you have to think some changes will be coming down the pike.
5. Clemson pre-game and post-game traditions
Specifically related to Clemson football, I believe two major changes will happen to regular pre-game and post-game traditions:
- Tiger Walk
- Gathering at the Paw
The pre-game tradition of Tiger Walk where thousands of fans gather to cheer on Clemson football players and coaches as they enter the stadium will likely be put on hold this season. The same can be said about the tradition of ‘Gathering at the Paw’ following each game.
Even though there will only be a small capacity of fans in the stadium, these are two changes that Clemson Athletics is almost certain to make to try and discourage big gatherings.
4. Tailgating
While this is all speculation, I have a feeling that- so long as fans are allowed in the stadium in some capacity- tailgating will be allowed.
However, that does not mean that the football tradition will go by unscathed.
We might expect parking lots to limit capacity and we could even see a situation where some parking lots as labeled as ‘tailgating lots’ and others aren’t. You may be expected to wear a mask, even while outside, when you’re in a tailgating lot. Although, there has been no information released on this yet.
Encouraging people to gather and ‘stay awhile’ is likely something Athletic Departments around the country are not going to want to do and that will lead to at least some changes being made in the process.
3. Recruiting Visits
While this may not be something Clemson football fans will physically see with their eyes, it’s still something to take notice of.
The NCAA recently extended its dead period on face-to-face recruiting visits to August 31st, but there are questions on what the organization will do following that deadline.
While recruits across the nation are hoping to make official visits, there is no indication of how and when that will happen. We could see a result where recruits aren’t allowed into games and they aren’t allowed to intermingle with players on the team currently or be on the sidelines before or during a game.
There is no clear answer for how recruiting visits will be conducted at this point, but there likely will be some restrictions still in place even while the season is in full-swing.
2. Scheduling
Scheduling is going to be changed for College Football programs around the country and there’s really no way around it.
With the Big Ten’s announcement, the other Power-5 conferences are going to be placed in a situation where they’re looking to fill non-conference slots left open by the Big Ten, as well as potentially looking to fill other openings left by smaller colleges (potentially Group of 5 and FCS programs) who choose to cancel their season.
Scheduling is completely up-in-the-air currently, but it almost seems a guarantee at this point that the current 2020 Clemson football schedule will be altered in some form before the start of the season.
1. The CFB Playoff
Speaking of scheduling, perhaps the biggest question pertaining to the College Football season (other than will it happen and if athletes can be protected) is what the CFB Playoff will look like.
If all five Power-5 leagues decide to play conference-only games, it simply wouldn’t make sense to only have a four-team playoff. You’d almost have to expand it to at least six teams as a way to get the best teams possible in the field.
But even then there are logistical questions and many others as to how the postseason can be played and what it would look like. For example, if the Big Ten isn’t willing to have Ohio State travel to Oregon during the regular season, why would it all of a sudden be safe for the Buckeyes to travel somewhere else to take on a team outside of the Big Ten in the playoff?
There are more questions than answers at this point and things aren’t going to be clear for a while. No one likes changes and none of us obviously want to see things altered, but if these are the sacrifices we must make to still have a College Football season, then that’s exactly what we’re going to choose to do.