Cy-Fair Independent School District announced Friday, Sept. 4, that the department won’t make season tickets available for the 2020 fall football season because of state regulations and University Interscholastic League procedures about stadium capacity restrictions during the pandemic.
Tickets will instead be put up for sale on a week-by-week basis only. According to a district press release, 2019 season tickets will carry over to 2021 with the option for renewal.
The district must limit seating at Pridgeon Stadium and Cy-Fair Federal Credit Union Stadium to abide by distancing regulations. Tickets for upcoming events will be offered “by section as general admission, with the number of tickets to be determined by the available capacity needed for each school to meet social distancing requirements,” according to the press release.
Cy-Fair ISD athletic director Ray Zepeda said the district’s priority has been on maximizing student participation by game day participants that include not only football players but fine arts students as well and in complying with the recommended social distancing requirements.
“We obviously would much prefer to have a packed house at our events to support our athletes and coaches,” Zepeda said. “However, we feel very thankful that our athletes have a chance to compete this year and we will do our utmost to provide a safe environment for all concerned by following all UIL and state mandates and regulations.”
Tickets will be available for presale at $7 for adults and $4 for students online at www.cy-fairtix.com through a campus link. Event participants get priority during presale ticket purchases starting every Sunday prior to game days and get a second option to buy up to eight total tickets if enough are available.
Zepeda said there will be limited seating for each team as the district is establishing a system that places a priority on the family members of game day participants. He added that the more game day participants a school has, the less available seating there will be for the general public.
“Family members of our student participants will be able to have a first opportunity on Sunday and Monday each week to purchase a limited number of tickets on a first come, first served basis and we will release any unsold tickets to the general public on Tuesday each week,” Zepeda said.
The order in which groups may purchase presale tickets is as follows:
On Sunday and Monday — Parents of athletes, band, cheer and drill team students can buy up to a specified number of tickets. The ticket limit was based on available seating and the number of students participating, according to the press release, and purchasers need a student ID number for access to the purchasing portal. The ticket purchasing limits per student ID number for each high school are:
Bridgeland, Cypress Woods, Cypress Ranch, Cy-Fair: two tickets
Cypress Creek, Jersey Village: three tickets
Cypress Falls, Cypress Lakes, Cypress Park, Cypress Ridge, Cypress Springs, Langham Creek: four tickets
Beginning on Tuesday — Student designated section tickets can be purchased at a campus ticket office, but there will be a limit of 90 tickets per stadium, and tickets for other sections will be sold via the online ticketing system from Tuesday until three hours before the game.
Tickets remaining three hours until game time will be available for purchase on either side of the stadium via online or ticket booths, which will open one hour prior to game time. Tickets sold within three hours of the game will cost $8 for adults and $5 for elementary students, and can be purchased until 90 minutes after the start of the event or tickets are sold out.
“All revenue generated by CFISD ticket sales are returned to the general fund to help fund the operational expenses of the school district,” Zepeda said. “The reduced amount of ticket revenue will mean that there will be a reduction in money returned to the school district.”
There will be signs with QR codes placed around stadium parking lots for those who want to get e-tickets for admittance. Everyone attending the games must wear face coverings and are asked to adhere to social distancing protocols.
In the announcement, the district states that additional changes may be made to measures regarding venues or ticket availability depending on updated rules. For more information regarding tickets, get in touch with a campus athletic office or district athletic department at 281-894-3980.
“I would just hope that they would be patient with us and that they would be positive regarding our situation,” Zepeda said. “We are having to utilize so many new processes to confront this challenge and I am sure that there will be some bumps in the road. I would just ask for patience to allow us to methodically work through this to provide them with the best experience possible given the constraints that we are working under at the present time.”