New attendance limits remove some stress for WPIAL schools

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, October 6, 2020 | 7:31 PM

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High school administrators across the PIAA were verifying the number of seats in their stadiums and gymnasiums Tuesday after Gov. Tom Wolf eased limits on gathering sizes.

The governor’s new formula is based on a percentage of a facility’s capacity rather than the 25-person indoor and 250-person outdoor restrictions previously imposed. Under the new system, most school gyms will be limited to 15% or 20% of capacity with many stadiums at 20%.

The new restrictions take effect Friday.

“It’s much better than what we had,” PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said. “I don’t want to speak for every school, but I think the membership can work with it. I’m pretty sure that we can.”

Now, for example, a stadium that seats 5,000 can admit 1,000. A gymnasium with 2,000 seats can allow in 400. Schools can distribute added football tickets, but the biggest impact involves indoor sports.

“It’s definitely a big help for girls volleyball and water polo,” Lombardi said, “where at least now kids can sit on the bench, and we can get their families in.”

According to the new formula, for indoor events with a facility capacity up to 2,000 people, the maximum occupancy rate is 20%. For facilities with a capacity of 2,001 to 10,000, the rate is 15%. For facilities that hold more than 10,000, the rate is 10% with a maximum of 3,750 individuals.

Outdoor events have a separate formula.

Facilities that hold 2,000 or fewer people can allow 25% of capacity. Those in the 2,001 to 10,000 range are allowed 20%, and places that hold more than 10,000 are allowed 15% up to 7,500 individuals.

The PIAA in recent months had lobbied the governor for a percentage-based limit for interscholastic sports rather than a set number for all schools.

“It gives a little more flexibility,” WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman said. “That’s what we had asked for originally, a percentage, so schools can determine their max individually. I’m pleased with the results.”

The new guidelines will enable the WPIAL and PIAA to admit fans at their postseason events. For now, schools are deciding how many fans can be admitted for Friday night’s football games. After months of uncertainty and complaints from unhappy parents, many administrators welcomed the new limits.

“As a district and as an athletic department, we now have concrete numbers,” Baldwin athletic coordinator John Saras said. “You as a district can make a local decision.”

Baldwin plays its first home football game of the season Friday, so the relaxed guidelines arrived at an opportune time.

The Highlanders have a 5,000-person stadium and a gym that hold about 2,000. Saras consulted Tuesday with the district’s facilities manager to verify those capacity numbers, so the school can hang them at the venues.

“If we have 250 tickets available, here’s why,” Saras said. “Here’s the occupancy number.”

Many schools will increase attendance this week.

Norwin plans to allow some visiting fans to watch Friday night’s game against North Allegheny. Soccer and field hockey will be able to accommodate all interested spectators, and girls volleyball will have around 360 in the gym — including some students as fans.

“Any additional attendance we can have is a positive,” Norwin athletic director Mike Burrell said. “Does it solve all of our problems? No, but it’s a start in the right direction.”

McKeesport had limited football tickets to two per athlete at its 3,500-seat stadium but now will increase that number this week to four or five for all seniors, athletic director Charley Kiss said.

“We feel good about that,” Kiss said. “We’re happy that some of the other family members of those kids are able to see them in the last couple of weeks.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.