(NEW YORK) — The NFL telling its teams on Tuesday that they will be allowed to host fans at training camp this summer, subject to state and local COVID-19 rules.
The pandemic kept fans away from team facilities last year.
The league also saying that 30 of the 32 teams have received approval from the state and local governments to open their stadiums to 100% capacity when games resume in the fall.
Football is hoping for a return to normal by the time the season begins. The league-wide season ticket renewal rate has been about 90 percent, including a surge in the last week and a half, since the reveal of the 2021 schedule.
29 NFL teams will open their training camps on July 27. The other three — the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers — will be allowed to open earlier because they play in either the Hall of Fame preseason game, or the September 9 regular-season kickoff game.
Peter O’Reilly, the league’s executive vice president of club business and league events, told ESPN that training camp will still look different as the NFL tries to keep its players, staff, and fans safe from the virus.
“It won’t likely look exactly the same as a normal training camp as far as proximity to players and autographs and some of the other things,” he said.
He did add that the league will not implement a fan vaccination policy beyond whatever local regulations might exist.
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