Will Panthers fans be able to go to home opener next month? County to decide soon
Mecklenburg County Health officials will soon determine whether fans can attend the Carolina Panthers’ home opener next month, Health Director Gibbie Harris said in a news conference Friday.
The Panthers home opener is Sept. 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The players and staff have been tested daily during training camp. No single game tickets will be sold.
Harris said health officials have had discussions with the Panthers about its plans to have fans at games. The Panthers previously announced that they intended to have a limited number of fans in the stadium this season.
However, that won’t be possible if North Carolina remains in Phase Two of its reopening plan.
Earlier this month, Gov. Roy Cooper announced that the state would remain in Phase Two of its novel coronavirus reopening plan until at least Sept. 11. Phase Two prohibits mass gatherings outside of 25 or more people. It does have an exception at games for camera crew, players and coaching staffs.
“We love the fans and they give us a lot of juice when we get out there,” Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey told reporters Friday. “But based on what we’re hearing, not sure if there’s gonna be fans or how many fans there’s gonna be, we have to be able to adapt and make the most of it.”
Tailgating around the stadium would also violate gathering limits under the state’s Phase Two executive order.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Deputy Chief Jeff Estes said the department will enforce the rules and not allow tailgating to occur that violates social distancing and COVID-19 safety rules. Phase Three would increase the mass gathering limit.
This discussion of fans comes as the county health department continues to advise Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, area colleges and universities and other organizations on possible reopening plans.
Public health data show some encouraging trends locally over the last month, as hospitalizations for COVID-19 have declined, as has the number of new cases and the county’s positivity rate.
We... would love to play in front of our fans,” Panthers’ COO Mark Hart said in a statement. “We continue to have a productive dialogue with the Governor and Mecklenburg County Public Health Director, as well as other local and state health officials. We have been preparing since March to host fans in Bank of America Stadium and there is a comprehensive plan in place.
“Our top priority continues to be providing a safe and healthy environment for our players, fans, staff and community. We understand many are anxious for clarity and appreciate their patience.”
Plans for fans
In July, the Panthers had informed personal seat license owners that they could elect not to 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 NFL is allowing teams to determine the number of fans they will have in the stands on a team-by-team basis.
PSL owners who still wanted to attend home games during the 2020 season were going to have the opportunity to choose from a pre-selected set of games.
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.
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.”
Tepper Sports and Entertainment, which runs both the Panthers and Charlotte FC, furloughed and laid off at least 20 employees in August due to the economic conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic. The NFL canceled all preseason games in July.
Staff writers Alaina Getzenberg and Anna Douglas contributed to this story
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 11:30 AM.
