LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A few thousand less fans will be in the stands at Cardinal Stadium for the upcoming football season. 

The University of Louisville announced its governor-approved plan for reopening the stadium. The plan includes reducing the stadium's capacity to 20 percent, meaning roughly 12,000 people will spread out amongst 60,800 seats.

The university said it's working with over 6,200 season ticket holder accounts which represent roughly 30,000 ticket sales before the capacity reduction. The allocation process began last week and will continue into game week. Ticketing for the season will be digital with applications UofL has employed for the last two years. 

Familiar safety measures will be in place, like temperature checks, face coverings, physical distancing, and more. In an effort to socially distance, no tailgating will be permitted in UofL parking lots, including tents, trailers, grills, or generators. 

The Card March tradition, which welcomes the team to the stadium, will also de discontinued. 

There will be additional staffing at entrances for the temperature checks, bag checks, and ticket scanning. Mask usage will be strictly enforced.

The UPS Flight Deck, the upper seating area at Cardinal Stadium, will remain empty so fans can spread out within the lower bowl and premium seating areas.

Before the pandemic, stadium improvements were planned to ease entry into the stadium; however, the stadium will now offer increased physical distancing at the gates. The ticket office and store at Gate 2 have also been removed, creating 16 openings and 32 entrances to the stadium. 

UofL's football season will open Sept. 12 against Western Kentucky University at 8 p.m.