Saints Decide to Honor Ticket Refunds Again in 2021, COVID-19
After the initial backlash, the New Orleans Saints organization will honor refund requests under certain criteria.
The Saints released the following statement this morning on their website:
The New Orleans Saints are grateful to have received all the necessary approvals to host a full capacity crowd at the Caesars Superdome this season. The Saints earned the No. 1 ranking in the NFL in Health and Safety in 2020 and are following the state and local protocols for our fans to safely attend games this season.
While the city is not exclusively requiring a full vaccine for entry it is requiring either proof of a single vaccination dose or a negative Covid-19 test for our fans to attend the game (fans that are 12 and under do not need to provide any proof of vaccination or negative test result). The City of New Orleans will permit fans to enter the stadium even if they receive their first Covid-19 vaccination shot on the day of the game. The Saints will be teaming with Ochsner to provide free Covid-19 vaccinations at the Caesars Superdome for fans who wish to choose this option. Once the city ordinance was announced, the Saints/Ochsner regional vaccination program produced nearly 2,000 newly vaccinated citizens within one week. We want to thank the health care professionals who assisted on this program and all health care workers on the front lines who are fighting this disease every day. They are our true heroes.
We are hopeful that the city mandate is temporary and we remain optimistic that as vaccination rates increase this policy will no longer be necessary.
We appreciate the overwhelming positive feedback we have received from our season ticket holders to be a part of a full capacity Caesars Superdome. We have the best and loudest fans in the NFL and they will be counted on this season.
Last season, we made the decision to offer refunds or rollover accounts to the following season because we knew government regulations would not allow us to fulfill a full season of attendance. This is not the case this season. Based on current city and state regulations allowing full capacity, we did not plan to offer refunds for season tickets, as has been our standard policy. We have received less than 120 requests for ticket refunds as of Thursday morning and, following media inquiries and recent articles about refund policies, we have received thousands of calls from interested fans wanting to purchase any season tickets made available by current season ticket holders seeking refunds.
Our preference is to have these loyal fans in the seats rather than see these additional tickets be made available to visiting fans via the secondary market. Those seeking a refund should reach out to their ticket representative by the deadline of Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 4 p.m. CT. At their request, we will cancel their accounts and provide a refund. Those tickets will then be immediately offered for purchase to our wait list. Every effort will be made to expedite this process due to the start of the home season next week. Further details regarding the refund policy will made available to those seeking a refund through their ticket representative.
Mayor Cantrell's office announced that the City of New Orleans would require proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test for admittance into indoor events and spaces within the city limits. Some fans were opposed to the new mandate as the COVID-19 rates continue to climb in the State of Louisiana due to the Delta variant.
According to the Louisiana Department of Health's website, 89% of the people who are not fully vaccinated from 8/5 to 8/11 comprised of the new COVID-19 cases in the state.
The New Orleans Saints will have fans in attendance on Monday, Aug. 23, when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars at Caesars Superdome. The contest will be the second preseason game for the Saints after losing to the Ravens 17-14 in Week 1 preseason action.
ESPN will broadcast the game at 7 PM CT. Fans will be required to follow the City of New Orleans and Caesars Superdome protocols for admittance into the stadium.
