Alabama plans to open stadium to full capacity for football this fall

March 2 (UPI) -- The University of Alabama plans to resume full fan attendance for football games this fall -- at 101,000-plus capacity Bryant-Denny Stadium -- athletic director Greg Byrne says.

Byrne announced the return with a tweet Monday.

He posted the message as part of a quoted tweet of the school's announcement to return this fall to traditional in-person instruction, without restrictions on classroom capacity, amid a decline in COVID-19 cases.

"With this announcement, we've received a number of questions regarding capacity at Bryant-Denny Stadium for Alabama football in 2021," Byrne wrote in his tweet.

"We are moving forward with plans to have a full stadium in the fall and will monitor medical guidelines as we have all along."

Last season, Alabama allowed fans to fill 20% of the stadium's normal capacity -- about 20,000 fans.

The reigning national champion Crimson Tide are scheduled to open the season against Miami on Sept. 4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Alabama then hosts Mercer on Sept. 11 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

"The return to normal operations would not be possible without the leadership of our campus presidents who have skillfully implemented the health and safety measures recommended by our world-renowned medical experts," the school said in a statement Monday.