JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Professional sports during a pandemic have largely kept fans out of the stands.
NFL fans have been left to question if they would be able to attend games this fall or not. On Friday, the Green Bay Packers became the first team to give season ticket holders an idea of what games may look like if fans are welcomed into stadiums.
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The Jaguars and teams around the NFL are all working to answer one pressing question: Will fans be allowed to attend games this fall?
Friday, the Green Bay Packers sent a message to their season ticket holders that could serve as an early look at how stadiums around the country will handle games this fall.
In a statement, Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy said that fans can expect changes due to safety in 2020.
An announcement today from the Green Bay Packers: pic.twitter.com/p0VNg1JuK4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 3, 2020
“At this time, the team is preparing to have fans in attendance with new policies and safety measures to allow for appropriate social distancing, which will require the stadium’s seating capacity to be significantly reduced.”
“Face coverings also will be required, and other necessary precautions will be in place. "
This letter to Packers season ticket holders could serve as an early look at the policies teams will use to keep fans safe. But things could be different from team to team because the NFL has decided that each team will be allowed to determine their own stadium capacity.
Teams will be asked to set their capacity based on local health protocols and policies, which means some stadiums could have a capacity of zero.
It is still early and all plans being made right now are subject to change. But one thing that does seem likely to stick is a report from The Athletic that the NFL is considering requiring fans to sign a waiver to attend games. This wouldn’t be unheard of as NASCAR has required fans that have attended recent races to sign a waiver.