Panthers to have no fans in attendance for Week 1 home game vs. Raiders
The Carolina Panthers have announced that they will not have fans in attendance for their first home game of the season vs. the Raiders, scheduled for Sept. 13.
“Despite our best efforts, we are deeply disappointed to share that you will not be with us at Bank of America Stadium on Sept. 13 when we open the season against Las Vegas,” the team said in a letter to fans.
With the move, the Panthers join a growing list of NFL teams that have either decided to hold some or all games without fans in the stands this season. There has not yet been a decision reached on what attendance will look for the rest of the season at Bank of America Stadium. After Week 1, Carolina is on the road for two weeks with their second home game scheduled to take place Oct. 4 vs. the Cardinals.
“Both the State and Mecklenburg County Public Health have reviewed the Panthers’ plans and provided feedback,” Mecklenburg County said in a statement. “The plans are comprehensive and the Panther staff have worked with us to strengthen them as needed. NC DHHS has responded to their request to include spectators in September, denying that exception.”
Only three teams — the Chiefs, Cowboys and Dolphins — have said they’ll have fans in attendance to start the season, while a few others have not announced a definitive plan.
Governor Roy Cooper announced Tuesday that the state is moving into Phase 2.5, allowing more businesses to open and increasing the state’s limits on mass gatherings to 25 people indoors and 50 people outside.
“I want people, eventually, to be able to get back into stadiums and auditoriums and cheering their teams on. We also know that one of the ways that this virus spreads so rapidly is when people get together,” Cooper said in a response to a question about criteria for having fans at sporting events. “The idea is right now, that even though these teams can be allowed to play and the referees and whatever support staff that are needed for the teams to be able to play (are allowed), we are going to keep the fans to the mass gathering limit in order to be able to slow the spread of the virus. I know that most of the NFL teams right now are saying no fans for their first few games.”
The Panthers had come up with and proposed safe ways to have fans in the stadium — from food service enhancements to utilizing the suites in the stadium in unique ways — even if the state remained in Phase 2.
“We have worked tirelessly since March to develop and implement a responsible, comprehensive plan to ensure that your game day experience is enjoyable and as safe as possible. Based on the guidelines outlined in Phase 2 of North Carolina’s reopening plan, and our health and safety plan, we are confident that we can safely host a limited number of fans,” the team wrote in its letter. “This is not a choice between a full stadium or an empty stadium. We have offered compromises and alternatives. We will continue reaching out to government officials regarding options for future games.”
The Panthers are still hoping to have some fans in the stands as soon as their second home game. The team has put in place a variety of measures to try and make the stadium as safe as possible for fans. The team tested and planned new ways has fans to enter and move around safely including putting arrows on the floor indicating which direction to walk in.
All fans were to be required to wear face coverings as well as additional health-screening protocols, physical distancing “amplified via stadium signage” and contactless/cashless transactions at shops and concession stands.
They also worked with Honeywell to create customized PPE (personal protective equipment) packs for fans and are deploying solutions to monitor air quality in the stadium, in addition to having XENEX disinfection robots. The team used computer models and simulations to show how social distancing would be possible.
The NFL is allowing franchises to determine the number of fans they will have in the stands on a team-by-team basis. Some teams, including the Giants and Jets, have decided that there will be no fans for the entire season, while the Dolphins have announced there will be a maximum of 13,000 fans (20% capacity) in attendance.
In July, the Panthers informed personal seat license owners that they could choose to not attend any home games this year and still maintain their ownership. If they had already paid for seats, they had the option to use it as a credit for the 2021 season or to receive a full refund in 30 business days.
The plan is for PSL owners who still want to attend home games during the 2020 season to have the opportunity to choose from a pre-selected set of games.
In March, Panthers owner David Tepper spoke on the possibility of having fans in the stands for NFL games this year.
“There should be some amount of fans in the stadiums,” Tepper said on CNBC. “Depending on what locale and where you are and what the local rules are. There could possibly be ... You won’t be having full stadiums, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fans in the stadium, either.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 2:22 PM.
