The Black Cats have delayed their kick-off against Wigan until 3.15pm.
Fans are still queuing to get into the ground as a result of road closures in the surrounding areas.
Sunderland are expecting a bumper crowd for their first game in front of fans, without restrictions, for over 18 months.
A crowd of around 37,000 are expected at the Stadium of Light this afternoon as Lee Johnson's side look to kick start their League One campaign with a win.
He's handed two debuts to on-loan Manchester City man Callum Doyle who starts in central defence, while newly-appointed skipper Corry Evans plays as one of the two holding midfielders in front of the back four.
READ MORE: Sunderland vs Wigan team news as Lee Johnson hands out two debuts
With no senior specialist full-backs to call upon, midfielder Carl Winchester played at right-back while fellow midfielder Dan Neil started at left-back.
Lee Burge recovered from the elbow injury that had kept him out of the final pre-season friendly to start in goal.
You can follow all the breaking news and reaction from the Stadium of Light in our live blog here.
