State College’s varsity football team will play its first game at the newly renovated Memorial Field on Friday night, but the contest against Cumberland Valley will not be open to the general public.
Athletic Director Chris Weakland wrote in a message to families on Thursday that players have been given a limited number of tickets for family members, who will be the only fans permitted into the stadium.
‘While we are all excited to see the new complex and cheer on our Little Lions, we must be cautious because of the pandemic,’ Weakland wrote. ‘Therefore, due to stadium capacity restrictions developed by our health and safety team, the game will not open to the general public and no tickets will be sold for Friday night.’
The adjacent Sidney Friedman Parklet also will be occupied by select marching band members and will not be open to spectators.
The game, which kicks off at 7 p.m., will be streamed live on the SCASD Athletics YouTube channel. It also will be televised live on WHVL.
A live watch event for high school students only will be held at the North Athletic Field, with priority ticketing by class. Students will be required to register in advance and show their ID for admission. School district employees will chaperone and attendees will be required to wear masks and follow physical distancing requirements.
The Little Lions had a delayed start to the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and come into the game 0-1 after a season-opening loss last week at Central Dauphin. Visiting Cumberland Valley has a 1-1 record on the year.
It will be State College’s first game at Memorial Field since the 2018 season as last year the downtown stadium underwent a $14.3 million renovation project that added new locker rooms, restrooms, pedestrian plazas, home-side seating and concessions.
The Little Lions played their 2019 home games at the South Track field on the high school campus.
