Report: NFL To Close Off First Six To Eight Rows In Stadiums To Protect Players, Coaches
Jun 24, 2020, 1:18 PM | Updated: Apr 26, 2021, 3:43 pm
(Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NFL will close off the first six to eight rows in stadiums for the 2020 season in order to protect players, coaches and team staff from possible exposure to the coronavirus.
According to Sports Business Daily, the team presidents found out about the move on Tuesday. They will be placing tarps over the first six to eight rows in the stadiums. Teams will be allowed to sell sponsorship which will allow sponsor logos to appear on the tarps for television exposure.
Nothing has been announced on whether NFL teams will be allowed to have fans or not this season.
The first six to eight rows in every NFL stadium will be off limits to fans this season – covered with a tarp that will have sponsor logos that can be seen on TV. @BenFischerSBJ has the details. https://t.co/nWc8XiHBRt
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) June 24, 2020
Sports Business Daily mentioned that there will be restrictions to protect league sponsors. Team naming rights sponsors, local sponsors that don’t conflict with league sponsors and local sponsors that have national deals will have the easiest time complying with the rules.
Any suites that are on the field level will also be off limits this season.
The 2020 NFL season is scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 10 in Kansas City as the defending Super Bowl Champion Chiefs will face the Houston Texans. The game will begin at 6:20 p.m. MT and will be televised on KSL TV.