Your Team by Team Capacity Allowance Update
The return of the NFL is finally here! But not without some catches. While leagues like the NBA and NHL are operating under the “bubble” format, the NFL has decided to do something different, and to the surprise of their fans, will be moving forward with their 256-game season.
If you caught last night’s season opener at the Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium, you probably noticed the limited number of fans in the stadium. If you’re having a hard time keeping up with which teams are allowing in person fans, you’re in luck with today’s topic! We’re going to give you a conference by conference update on exactly which of your favorite teams you’ll be allowed to support in person, and which ones you currently have to settle for watching from home.
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
No fans allowed inside the stadium for the first two home games against the Jets and the Rams.
Miami Dolphins
In exciting news for Dolphins’ fans, the team will be allowing a maximum of 13,000 fans inside the Hard Rock Stadium for their first home game of the season against the Bills. Masks will be required, and fans will be seated at a distance from each other, with entrance and exit times being staggered.
For all you season-ticket holders out there, if you’re worried about attending this season’s games, the team is giving the option to roll your tickets into next year, while still keeping all the benefits you currently enjoy.
New York Jets
The NY Jets have announced this week that they will be playing without fans for the rest of 2020.
New England Patriots
Patriots fans will have to wait until at least the end of September for any new information on fan attendance, with team officials showing hope for increased attendance later in the season. Take a look at the team’s “new normal” from their official Twitter page.
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AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals will be allowed to host a maximum of 6,000 for both home games against the Jaguars on October 4th and the Browns on October 25th.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are waiting from official state approval on allowing fans inside the stadium, but they have released their most recent plan for hosting fans at FirstEnergy Stadium that includes mobile tickets and “pod seating.”
Baltimore Ravens
No fans to be allowed inside the stadium for the first part of the 2020 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
No fans at Heinz Field for the first two games of the season but not all hope is lost for Steelers fans with this recent story from their website.
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AFC South
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts will be allowing fans inside their stadium for their home opener against the Vikings with a 15% capacity of the Lucas Oil Stadium.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Season-ticket holders will be allowed inside TIAA Bank Field, but with a maximum capacity of 25% at each home game. With the stadium holding 67,164 fans, the capacity will be 16,791. The team is hoping to increase this capacity depending on Covid-19 developments.
Houston Texans
No fans will be allowed inside NRG Stadium for the Texans’ home opener on September 20th against Baltimore.
Tennessee Titans
As of now, the Titans’ home opener against the Jaguars on September 20th will be without fans, but as to whether there will be fans at their next home game or not, that is currently undecided.
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AFC West
Denver Broncos
Even though the Broncos’ season opener is a Monday Night Football game, the team announced on August 21st that there will be no fans in attendance. They will, however, be allowing fans inside the stadium for their Week 3 home game against the Buccaneers.
Los Angeles Chargers
Both the LA Chargers and the LA Rams have announced that neither team will be allowing fans in attendance until further notice.
Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, who previously announced their choice to sell tickets to their home games, have now decided to limit attendance to their early-season games to 22% capacity. With last year’s stadium attendance calculated at 72,936, at 22% capacity this season, the team can sell up to 16,046 tickets as of now.
Las Vegas Raiders
Raiders owner Mark Davis, decided earlier this week on emailing season-ticket holders, notifying them that fans would not be allowed inside the stadium this season. In another surprising twist, Davis declared that if fans could not attend games, that he would not attend either. This is a huge upset for the team and the surrounding area of Las Vegas, since the Raiders have just moved into the new and incredible, Allegiant Stadium.
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NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have decided that fans will be allowed at AT&T Stadium this season, with fewer than 50% capacity under guidelines from the governor. The team has also announced safety guidelines including social distancing, mandatory masks, pod seating, mobile tickets, and all retail and food sales will be cashless.
Philadelphia Eagles
With the city of Philadelphia prohibiting outdoor events of more than 50 people, the Eagles will not be able to allow fans inside Lincoln Financial Field until further notice, following a team announcement last week.
New York Giants
The Giants will be following the same protocol as the New York Jets, and will not be allowing fans inside the stadium at all for the rest of 2020.
Washington Football Team
With Washington being the first team to recall scouts at the beginning of the pandemic, the team has announced that they will be starting the season without fans, with a potential for change later on in the season.
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NFC North
Chicago Bears
Fans will not be allowed at home games at Soldier Field this season. This is subject to change, but the team has cited that the health and safety of city residents and Bears fans are their number one priority as of now.
Detroit Lions
No fans at games as of now, but the situation will be reevaluated later in the season.
Green Bay Packers
Packers fans will have to wait until at least November to watch their team in person, and even then, there will be a stadium capacity of no more than 10,000 to 12,000 fans.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings will play their first two season openers without fans and have not announced a decision about the rest of the season.
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NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No fans to be allowed inside the stadium for the first two home games.
Atlanta Falcons
The team has decided that no fans will be allowed inside Mercedes Benz-Stadium until at least after September.
Carolina Panthers
No fans inside the stadium for their Week One game against the Raiders, with North Carolina still in Phase 2 of reopening. Team owner, David Tepper, hopes that this will change soon.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints have decided against fan attendance for their home opener against the Bucs, but in exciting news, the state of Louisiana will be allowing fans at their second home game against the Packers.
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NFC West
San Francisco 49ers
No fans at the home opener and the 49ers are working with officials on future home games.
Arizona Cardinals
No fans for the first two home games against Washington and Detroit. The Cardinals are working with state and local officials to determine whether the team can host a limited number of fans later in the season.
Los Angeles Rams
Just like their co-hosting team, the LA Chargers, the Rams will not be allowing fans in attendance until further notice.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks announced their decision on Aug 19th – no fans at CenturyLink Field for at least the first three home games.
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With the uncertainty of the future of live sports, we’re excited to see how these NFL teams choose to move forward with their seasons. Keep checking back here for more team updates as the season continues and for those lucky fans allowed inside stadiums, remember to stay safe and healthy!