While the Southeastern Conference nears a decision on the 2020 football schedule, Mississippi governor Tate Reeves extended a ruling on stadium capacity Sunday that at least continues a baseline for what may be possible at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this fall.

Reeves signed Executive Order No. 1508 over the weekend that extends four other executive orders through at least August 3, 2020. The key order is No. 1496 which amended Executive Order No. 1492 with a subparagraph regarding outdoor and indoor arenas.

The order went into effect June 15 and says the number of guests in the arena shall be no greater than 25 percent of the maximum seating capacity. It also states that arenas “shall adopt reasonable, good-faith measures to precent the spread of COVID-19, including but not limited to ensuring compliance with social distancing protocols…”

Twenty-five percent capacity at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038) is 16,010. Ole Miss reported $20.8 million revenue from football tickets in 2016, the last time the Rebels came close to maximizing ticket sales and capacity.

The executive orders are umbrella rules that don’t completely fit all the intricacies of college athletic venues, and while the order doesn't extend to the start of the season, it's relevant as a current snapshot considering Mississippi's rising cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19.

There’s no certainty on what attendance can or would be in club and suite areas that are enclosed from the rest of the stadium. Executive Order 1500 allows concession stands to open as long as there’s no congregating around the area and workers and volunteers are pre-screened.

Executive Order No. 1496 does say all “seated food service areas” in an (indoor or outdoor) arena shall be subject to Executive Order No. 1478 which restricts occupancy to 50 percent capacity.

Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter has said he would like to meet — potentially in concert with Mississippi State and Southern Miss officials — with Reeves and Mississippi State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs about a more specific ruling on SEC venues, potentially presenting a plan to them on how Ole Miss can operate safely at certain capacity percentages.

The university released a campus ready plan earlier this month that listed 25 percent capacity for all arenas, but Carter said that didn’t include athletics. Ole Miss' athletics department is basing its fiscal year budget off 50 percent football stadium capacity.

The Rebels are currently scheduled to open their season September 6 in Houston against Baylor, but that remains uncertain. A conference-only schedule is possible, as is some type of non-conference agreement between the ACC, SEC and Big 12.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is expected to make a decision toward the end of the month.