KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs announced Monday that fans will be welcomed back to Arrowhead Stadium this season.
Working with the National Football League, Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas and Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department Director Dr. Rex Archer, the team said it will welcome roughly 16,812 fans or roughly 22 percent of Arrowhead’s capacity.
"We may be able to stay with this, or we may find we can’t do this," Archer said, "but we felt that because it’s outdoors and we could get people separated enough. We thought it was worth trying."
Due to the reduced number of tickets, the club plans to make available single-game tickets to the club’s first three home games starting on Aug. 24. Season ticket members will have the ability to purchase tickets in order of their tenure.
Monday’s announcement includes the season-opener Sept. 10 against the Houston Texans, Oct. 4 against the New England Patriots and Oct. 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The team said it will work with health officials as the season continues.
Season ticket holders who order tickets will be notified via email with additional information. The team said tickets will be sold in pods of seats, with as many as six seats per pod available in the online process.
According to Archer, every three rows will remain empty.
"I am concerned about shouting because we do know with singing and shouting the virus can move farther than with normal speech," Archer said. "That is why we are pushing it a little more than six feet in most exposures so we can protect people from the shouting risk."
Fans will be required to attend with known guests within the purchased pod. Any tickets that remain after they’ve been offered to season ticket holders would be offered to Jackson County residents.
Fans will be required to wear a mask at all times except when eating or drinking. The team will require fans to bring their own mask. Fans who attend the first three games will receive a commemorative Chiefs mask.
Fans will not be allowed to bring in bags, including previously approved clear bags. Smoking, vaping or spitting (including the use of sunflower seeds) will be prohibited.
Outside the stadium, the team will allow tailgating, but all parking passes must be purchased ahead of time. Only ticket holders will be allowed into the parking lots. Fans can only tailgate with those in their seating pod, and fans will be “encouraged” to wear masks in the parking lot.
Guests will see physical distancing measures in seating areas and other places where lines tend to form.
The team plans to provide enhanced “cleaning and sanitation measures,” which will include high-touch areas before, during and after the game.
Staffers entering the stadium will be required to complete a questionnaire and undergo a temperature check. All staff will be “directed” to wear personal protective equipment.
"With any of these things, there’s an honor system," Archer said. "Is it going to be easy? No. But we’ve been thinking about it for a lot of months."
More information on the team’s plans is available on its website.
