Vikings Hoping to Get Fans Into U.S. Bank Stadium This Season
With the 2020 NFL season just over three weeks away, the Vikings are reportedly working closely with Minnesota governor Tim Walz and the state Department of Health to try to figure out if it's possible for fans to safety attend games at U.S. Bank Stadium this year.
Vikings VP Lester Bagley said a decision will likely come next week, according to the Star Tribune's Rochelle Olson. Bagley also said that the maximum number of fans allowed would be around 20 percent of the stadium's capacity, and that it's unlikely any fans will be allowed to attend the September 13th opener against the Green Bay Packers.
Accounting for social distancing and public health restrictions, the maximum number of fans who could get in for any game this season would be roughly 20%, he said. But Bagley acknowledged everything depends on what Walz and the state agency allow under public health guidelines.
As Olson points out, there is currently an executive order from Walz that limits indoor gatherings to 250 people. If the Vikings were to allow up to 20 percent capacity to be filled at games, that could be around 13,000 people. The Vikings would presumably need to get special permission from the state for that to happen.
"It looks like we’re not going to have any fans there early, which really stinks because we have such unbelievable fans, and they make that place rocking every Sunday," Mike Zimmer said on Friday. "We have to go on state regulations, and right at this moment we can only allow 250 people in, which doesn't make it financially [worth it]."
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early March, there have been no events at the Vikings' billion-dollar stadium. The Minnesota Twins returned to action in late July and have been playing in front of an empty Target Field.
It seems like it's possible that there could be some amount of fans this season, but it'll all depend on what the state feels is safe. Of course, that will likely depend on the number of active coronavirus cases in Minnesota and the direction in which those numbers are trending this fall.
It sounds like there will be some more definitive news on this front coming next week.
