The Raiders won’t have fans in the stands at Allegiant Stadium during their inaugural season in Las Vegas.
It was announced on Monday that the Raiders will be the first team to openly come out and say that they won’t be having fans in the stands during the 2020 season. This is major news, as this was supposed to be Allegiant Stadium’s first year in use, and the team clearly wants to be seeing a financial return on its $1.8 billion project.
But it won’t happen this season, apparently, as the team announced it won’t be hosting fans in the stands in 2020, in a statement which NFL.com shared.
“There is nothing more important to the Raider Organization than the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff, stadium workers and fans,” the Raiders announced. “After intensive consultation with healthcare officials and state and community leaders, we have made the difficult decision to play the Las Vegas Raiders 2020 inaugural season at Allegiant Stadium without fans in attendance. This decision is based on our commitment to protect the health of our fans and the entire community in response to the coronavirus pandemic affecting us all.
“This decision also ensures fairness to you, our PSL holders, given the challenges and potential inequities associated with determining who can and cannot attend specific games if the stadium were to operate at a reduced capacity. While the current situation is not how any of us envisioned celebrating the opening of Allegiant Stadium, when circumstances permit we look forward to sharing an unparalleled game day experience in the magnificent stadium you helped build.”
It will be interesting to see which NFL teams follow suit, as the Raiders were the first to have openly come out and said they won’t be hosting any fans this season.
