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Bay Area Reopens: Memorial Stadium In Berkeley To Be At Full Capacity For Upcoming Cal Football Season

BERKELEY (CBS SF) – After playing a shortened 2020 season without fans in attendance, the Cal football team will play home games at a full-capacity Memorial Stadium.

University officials announced Thursday that the 63,000 seat-venue, along with the school's other outdoor athletic venues, will be open this fall. Game day traditions including the Cal Band, cheer and spirit, along with Tailgate Town at Maxwell Family Field will also return.

"We know how much our fans have missed the experience of attending our games in person, which we can see through a 95 percent renewal rate for football season tickets and high demand for new tickets," said Cal Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton.

Athletic officials said all state and local health protocols will continue to be followed. Full details will be announced at a later date.

Cal football's home opener is scheduled for September 4 against Nevada. Additional games include matchups against Sacramento State, Washington State, Colorado, Oregon State and USC.

Last year, the Bears had a 1-3 record in a pandemic-shortened season that included four game cancellations.

The school also announced that all upcoming athletic events will move exclusively to mobile ticketing. Cal athletics plans to unveil a new app featuring mobile ticketing along with schedules and other features later this summer.

UC Berkeley's full reopening of Memorial Stadium comes as the school plans to largely return to normal when it comes to campus life. Last month, university officials announced in-person learning for the fall semester would begin on schedule, starting August 25.

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