Jaguars vs. Colts Set to be Only Sunday NFL Game With Fans
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — With 13 NFL games set to take place on Sunday to kick off the 2020 NFL season, only one game will feature fans in the stands due to COVID-19 restrictions and protocols: the Indianapolis Colts vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field.
The Jaguars' organization has taken various measures to prepare their game day experience for fans in the stands, with the most major step coming in July when the Jaguars announced reduced capacity for fans at this year's home games.
Jacksonville's stadium can hold just over 67,000 fans (67,164 total). But the Jaguars announced in July that stadium capacity will be reduced to 25%, which comes to 16,791, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was our sincere hope to welcome a capacity crowd to TIAA Bank Field this fall and celebrate together with the First Coast community. However, with the health and well-being of everyone in mind, the Jaguars anticipate reducing capacity this season," the Jaguars said in a statement when announcing the move.
"In compliance with state and local authorities and following CDC social distancing guidelines, TIAA Bank Field will be able to seat approximately 25 percent of its capacity at each Jaguars home game in 2020. Once the season begins, any future increase in capacity will depend on developments on the health and safety front. "
The Jaguars have introduced numerous strategies to enforce social distancing and proper safety protocols at home games this season, and it appears their first serious test for said protocols will come with some national attention.
The Jaguars released the following safety information for fans at the home games this season:
- Guests planning to attend games in 2020 will be required to wear face coverings as required by current guidelines.
- TIAA Bank Field will transition to cashless payment for most exchanges including merchandise and food purchases.
- Additional hand sanitizing stations will be provided throughout the stadium along with increased directional signage to encourage social distancing.
To make TIAA Bank Field cashless for game days, the Jaguars have introduced a contactless mobile payment system called "Jags Pay", which can be utilized for all stadium concessions and merchandise payments.
“Health and safety are at the forefront of all our fan experience upgrades in 2020,” said Chad Johnson, Jaguars senior vice president of sales and service and chief content officer in a statement this week.
“Jags Pay provides a contactless purchasing option and speeds up transactions ensuring fans can return to their seat as quickly as possible. The technology also gives the Jaguars unique insight into the buying behavior of our fans. In the future, we can customize their experience at TIAA Bank Field with exclusive offers tailored just for their game day style.”
Most teams throughout the league are taking fan attendance on a game-by-game basis. For example, the Miami Dolphins will permit 20% of fans in attendance for their Week 2 home opener, while the Buffalo Bills are not permitting fans at their first two home games of the season. Meanwhile, some states such as Ohio have offered some variances for some games but not for others.
