The Tennessee Titans will now play each of their first three games of the 2020 regular season without fans in attendance.
The Minnesota Vikings, the Titans’ Week 3 opponent, announced on Tuesday that they will not have fans in attendance for either their Week 1 or Week 3 home games.
Here’s the statement from the Vikings on the matter:
“Over the past several months, we have collaborated with U.S. Bank Stadium partners, the NFL, the State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis to determine the best way to safely and responsibly host a limited number of fans at Vikings home games. We have sought to balance the opportunity to provide fan access with the responsibility to adhere to public health and medical guidance in order to maintain the health and safety of fans, players, staff members and the broader community. Ultimately, public health is our top priority.
“Based on our conversations and the current Minnesota Department of Health guidelines that specify an indoor venue capacity of 250, we have determined it is not the right time to welcome fans back to U.S. Bank Stadium. As a result, the first two Vikings home games on Sunday, Sept. 13, and Sunday, Sept. 27, will be closed to the public. We will continue to work with the appropriate officials on our plans with the hope of bringing fans back in a safe manner later this season.”
One week ago, the Titans announced plans to play their home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 in an empty stadium, which was followed by the Denver Broncos making the same decision for their Week 1 tilt versus Tennessee.
Of course, considering the current situation, this was largely expected to be the case at the start of the season, but the hope is that fans will eventually be allowed to attend games in some capacity as the season progresses.
