Iowa State is making moves to play the 2020 football season as scheduled, but with a limited capacity to practice social distancing.

In a letter published on Tuesday, Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard announced the athletic department’s plan as things currently stand.

Pollard expects the football season to be played with local and state guidelines possibly requiring them to play games in front of 30,000 fans (Jack Trice Stadium’s capacity is 61,500). 

“Attendance at Jack Trice Stadium would be limited to approximately 50% capacity in order to meet the current guidelines established by state and local officials,” Pollard said in the letter. “Those guidelines may be adjusted as time passes. Right now, we are planning as though the capacity of our stadium would be limited to 30,000 spectators.”

22,000 season tickets have already been sold, according to Pollard, meaning that buying single game tickets may not be realistic as it stands today.

According to Pollard, they will reach 30,000 season tickets by the June 12, 2020 deadline. 

“Because we expect to reach the 50% capacity limitation through season ticket sales, we do not anticipate selling single game tickets unless the capacity limits are raised,” Pollard said.

Iowa State’s plan includes only allowing fans if they renew their season tickets and give their required Cyclone Club donation. 

Fans will have until June 12, 2020, to renew their season tickets and their Cyclone Club donation.  

This will be the plan unless the local and state governments deem it safe to have games with more than 30,000 fans.  

The athletic department’s plan is subject to change depending on what coronavirus does in the next couple of months.

“We will establish, and eventually communicate (to fans), the mitigation measures that we will implement this fall,” Pollard said. “Those decisions are currently in the development stage and will be evaluated and tweaked as we learn more about the virus in the coming weeks.”

Pollard made it clear that fans who already have or will buy tickets for football games and decide that it is not safe for them to attend, may receive a full refund or “defer the purchase of their season tickets to the 2021 season.” 

“It will ultimately be up to each attendee to decide whether they are comfortable attending games given the mitigation strategies we will implement,” Pollard said. “That decision will remain a personal choice that all attendees need to make.”