Broncos Asking State of Colorado to Allow Limited Fan Attendance in 2020

If my social media interactions with fans are any indication, a large swath of Broncos Country wants to attend Denver Broncos games at Empower Field at Mile High. This year.

Not all fans agree. Not all fans wish to attend Broncos games this year and understandably so.

But even with the coronavirus pandemic continuing its grip, it's a free country after all. If the Broncos have it their way, fans will at least have the prerogative to decide for themselves whether to show out at the stadium in-person, even if it's at a fraction of the traditional capacity.

However, the state of Colorado will have to sign off on it.

Thanks to a report from KUSA's Mike Klis, we now know that the Broncos will be submitting an official 'variance request' to the state seeking approval for a limited number fans to attend games this fall.

The team has already gone to great lengths to make the stadium as safe as it could possibly be for fans.

The request details all of the safety precautions the team has taken to prepare for the possibility of fans. All bathrooms are now touchless. Concession stands won’t accept cash.

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The Broncos will do what they can to mitigate the risks of transmitting and contracting COVID-19 at the stadium. Going with touchless technologies and likely having hand-sanitizer stations at every turn, while utilizing common-sense protocols like not accepting cash, the mandatory wearing of masks, and some modicum of social distancing, could go a long way toward mitigating the risks of infection.

But it won't completely eliminate the risk.

However, if the team gets its way, fans will at least have the autonomy to decide for themselves what level of risk they're willing to accept in order to attend a Broncos game and support the boys in Orange and Blue. If the state signs off.

If the Broncos' Infectious Disease Emergency Response plan, which was spearheaded by V.P. of Strategic Initiatives Brittany Bowlen and implemented at their Dove Valley headquarters, is any indication, the team will go to every length imaginable to make fans as safe as possible. This team's IDER plan is the epitome of comprehensive and painstaking in its attention to detail.

The NFL has lauded the Broncos for their exhaustive IDER plan. While it's unlikely to be an apples-to-apples facsimile of what innovations have been and can be implemented at the stadium with regard to public engagement, it is impressive nonetheless.

But it will be up to the state and Governor Jared Polis to decide. If the state grants the Broncos their request, the capacity at the stadium will be significantly limited.

Just don't expect Drew Lock to circle the stadium high-fiving fans pre- and post-game, or a touchdown-scoring player to leap into the stands like Noah Fant did last year. With the first six to eight rows being blocked off to fans, leaping into the bleachers will be off the table regardless.

UPDATE: Broncos announced on Friday that Week 1 will be played in an empty stadium.

“We are grateful for the loyalty and enthusiasm that Broncos fans have shown this year ... but this is the responsible thing to do right now.”

Broncos to hold 2020 season opener with no fans at @EmpowerField, hopeful to have limited fans early in year » https://t.co/Qtwct0T1LY pic.twitter.com/UKOiO2o5xn
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 21, 2020

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHudde.

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