In a detailed quest to allow at least some fans into home games at FirstEnergy Stadium in the 2020 season, the Cleveland Browns revealed their proposed plan for attendance to season ticket holders. The proposal must be approved by Ohio governor Mike DeWine and his COVID-19 response officials.
Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins released the team’s official statement, which reads in part,
“The ‘FirstEnergy Stadium Responsible Restart Plan’ is the result of a tremendous amount of time and resources that our entire team has spent over the past four months to develop a comprehensive stadium plan that prioritizes health and safety while allowing a reduced capacity of fans to return to our stadium for Browns games this fall. Our plan is founded upon the guidance and recommendations of city and state officials, the CDC, local and state health departments, University Hospitals’ medical experts, industry-leading venue consultants and the NFL, with the goal of creating as safe an environment as possible for our players, coaches, staff and fans.”
Some of the highlights include:
- Designated gates and recommended time entries for fans that are not flexible or optional
- Fan “pods” of no more than 10 people who will sit together in assigned seats
- Four color-coded quadrants of seating, and all fans must remain in their assigned quadrant for the entire time they’re in FirstEnergy Stadium.
- Mandatory face coverings at all times except “when actively eating or drinking”
If the plan meets approval, as many as 20 percent of the seats in FirstEnergy can be occupied for each of the team’s eight home games. There is no immediate timetable on when the governor will consider approval.
