Mizzou unveils plan to allocate football tickets

Last week, Missouri announced that it would allow fans to attend 2020 home football games, but will only fill Memorial Stadium to 25 percent capacity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That amounts to approximately 15,655 fans. Wednesday, the athletics department revealed how it plans to allocate those tickets.

According to an email sent to season ticket holders, donor rank will be used to determine who selects their seats first and how many tickets are available to each donor. The four highest donor ranks will be able select their seats this week. The selection process will wind its way through lower donor levels throughout the next few weeks, with the process concluding Friday, Sept. 11. Missouri is set to kick off Its five-game home schedule on Sept. 26 against Alabama.

Donors who rank among the "AD Cabinet" and "Hall of Fame" classifications, the two highest-ranking levels, will be allowed to claim up to eight season tickets. According to the Tiger Scholarship Fund website, donors must pledge $50,000 to qualify for the Hall of Fame and $100,000 to qualify for the AD Cabinet. Those in the "All-American" and "Excellence" categories will also be able to select tickets by Friday, but each will be allowed to claim just four tickets.

Donors who rank among the "Director," "True Tiger" and "Gold" classifications will also be allowed to claim up to four tickets apiece. Gold members must donate at least $5,000 to the TSF. "Columns" and "Champion" members will be allocated two tickets apiece. Those require a $3,000 and a $1,000 donation, respectively.

The bottom four donor levels, along with season ticket holders who have not made a donation, could be able to claim two tickets apiece as well, although the email says that the athletics department "will monitor the seat selection process and based on inventory and demand, we will be prepared to transition to a mini-plan model to offer the opportunity to as many season ticket holders as possible to attend multiple 2020 home games." Presumably, that means that season ticket holders who donate less than $1,000 a year will have a chance to purchase tickets, but might not get seats for every game.

The email does not clarify whether students will receive seating and, if so, how much. However, a source indicated that student seating will be available it has not yet been determined how many seats will be allocated to students.

The email emphasizes that the changes to the season ticket model will be in effect only for the 2020 season. In 2021, ticket holders will be able to return to their seats from the 2019 season. The athletics department is also providing donors the ability to opt out of their seats this season while keeping their donor status Intact for future years. If they choose to do so, they can donate the cost of their tickets to Tiger Scholarship Fund, receive a credit toward 2021 season tickets or receive a full refund.

Last week, the SEC released a list of guidelines for football attendance, including a mandate that all fans wear face masks when not seated or when unable to properly social distance from someone who doesn't live in their household. The SEC left it up to individual schools to determine whether to allow tailgating outside of the stadium. Wednesday's email did not address whether or not Missouri will do so this season.

Associate AD Nick Joos said Monday that the school Is working with a third party to devise a system that would require fans In certain sections to enter the stadium via a specific gate and to use designated restrooms and concessions stands. In order for fans to safely attend games all season, athletics director Jim Sterk said, the biggest thing the university will need Is cooperation with the new mandates.

"We need cooperation," he said. "I think the best advice that Dr. (Stevan) Whitt, or immunologist, gave us is you got to treat everyone like they have COVID. And that means if you can't socially distance then wear masks, and make sure that you sanitize your hands and you keep yourself safe. But if if you're in your social safe circle — I think our limit, we're talking about having 10 people in a group in the stadium — I think that that can work if people are smart and abide by the health rules.”