Status of all 32 NFL stadiums for attendance at home games in 2020
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NFL teams are announcing plans for whether or not they’ll have fans in attendance during the 2020 regular season.
The NFL is scheduled to kick off the 2020 regular season on Thursday, September 10th when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans. The league has installed various health and safety protocols to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, and in training camp has trended in the right direction.
The next step will be how teams handle games, but this also raises the question of fans in the stands. Most North American professional sports have been in bubbles, including the WNBA, NWSL, NBA, and NHL. MLB has gone without a bubble, but has also gone with no fans in attendance. There has been some push for a limited return of fans, but for the time being, MLB games remain without fans.
The NFL has not developed a league-wide policy, but is instead allowing each team to craft its own policy in conjunction with local health officials. Some teams have announced plans to have no fans in the stands for anywhere from the first game to the full season, while others have gotten approval for limited numbers.
Sportsbooks generally give a home team between 2.5 and 3 points, with teams like the Chiefs, Saints, and Seahawks at 3.5 points. Oddsmakers will generally cut that home field advantage in half if no fans are in attendance, but only 0.5 to 1.0 points if there is a limited capacity.
Different policies for different stadiums raises a question of competitive integrity this season. The point spread change is not huge, but in a league with the thinnest of margins between teams on any given Sunday, it is problematic to say the least.
Below is a rundown on what each team has elected to do for fans in the stands once the team makes an announcement.
Bills: No fans for first two games (Week 1, Week 3) — Report
Dolphins: Will be allowed 13,000 fans per game, roughly 20 percent capacity — Report
Jets: No fans allowed at games “until further notice” — Report
Patriots: No fans in September, which covers Week 1 and Week 2, then will re-evaluate — Report
Bengals: No fans for Week 1, up to 6,000 for second and third home games (Weeks 4, 7) — Report
Browns: Allowed 10% of capacity (6,000) for each of first 2 home games — Report
Ravens: No fans “for at least the initial part of the 2020 season.” — Report
Steelers: No fans the first two home games in Week 2 and 3 — Report
Read the entire article in NFL Draft Kings
