Northam: High school football capacity to remain at 250 for now

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - High school football has been classified as a recreational sport, meaning that while other venues throughout Virginia have been able to increase attendance to 1,000 guests, 250 people remains the capacity for high school stadiums. That capacity will not change for the time being, at least for the remainder of the month.

“We want people to go out and be able to be spectators and see their children and be with their friends,” Governor Ralph Northam said during his briefing on Tuesday afternoon regarding high school football games. “We have increased the number of individuals at outdoor stadiums to 250. That’s through March, and if these numbers continue, if these trends continue to be favorable, we’ll make further modifications that will start on April 1, so I would say more to come in that regard.”

That would be the final week of the regular season. Playoffs begin the week of April 5 with state championships being held on May 1.

Most high school football programs are using spectator availability for families and friends of players and staff. Cheerleaders and bands within the stadium grounds can also impact that number.

The VHSL high school season kicked off on Feb. 22, a condensed schedule the makeup for the delayed 2020 campaign. Teams can play up to six regular-season games with only four rounds of playoffs taking place this season. Normal schedules usually see 10 games and five playoff rounds.

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